St. Joseph Couple Cooks Up Culinary Launchpad for Aspiring Chefs

(KNSI) — St. Joseph is about to get a culinary launchpad as a local couple hopes to open an incubator space for aspiring chefs.

BriAnne and Craig Hern spent weeks taking suggestions from the public via a survey for what should be built on a lot they purchased on the corner of Minnesota Street and 2nd Avenue Northwest in downtown St. Joe.

BriAnne reviewed more than 300 submissions and discovered a clear winner. “Far and away, the survey showed that people are looking for a place to gather, to share food, like coffee, etc. And so, we landed on a concept of a food hall, which has multiple commercial kitchens.”

The area would have room for a cafe and a self-pour tap wall; up to four establishments could share the space. Craig wanted nothing to do with a kitchen concept but, in the end, felt it was right to go with the people. “That survey unexpectedly [showed] there was just so much around other food options. We have some really nice establishments in St. Joe with higher-end food, but people are asking for something quicker and more convenient. Something that they can sit down and grab that’s more cost effective.”

Craig did some digging and came across the food hall concept in the Twin Cities. He says that idea checked all the boxes.

The next step for the Herns is determining which chefs will be the right fit. The couple says they want the building to house culinary minds willing to work together and deliver food options. The goal is for these cooks to start in an affordable space, get established, and grow the customer base to where they can move into their own building.

Construction is scheduled to start on April 15th. The building should be open in October. They are also working with the community to address parking.

For more on the project, click here.

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