Introducing a pioneering new social enterprise, Kitchens for Good has announced the grand opening of its first “pre-loved” (gently used or new) kitchen store – Kitchens for Good Shop from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 19. All proceeds from the store at 980 Hornblend St. benefit Kitchen for Good’s tuition-free culinary, baking, and foodservice management apprentice programs, as well as its hunger relief and food waste reduction initiatives.
As part of the grand opening month and with the help of the nonprofit’s restaurant partners and volunteers, Kitchens for Good will hold a donation drive aimed at collecting 14,000 kitchenware items. With a focus on accruing quality gently used and new kitchen and dining wares at the shop all month long from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., additional donations sites and dates will include The Fish Market at 750 N. Harbor Drive; and Del Mar/Solana Beach at 640 Via de la Valle Friday-Sunday, Feb. 25, 26 and 27, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Open to the public, the grand opening event will showcase the vibrant new retail space, which spans about 5,000 square feet and sports bright images of food items created by Hanna’s Murals, and row after row of carefully curated kitchen items. Guests are invited to peruse this collection of top-quality boutique products – including baking, cooking, and dining items; high-end appliances; upscale cookware from top-tier partners; vintage glassware; unique collectibles, and fine china.
Also for sale: limited edition home items handcrafted by the organization’s apprentices and San Diego social enterprises, such as Bright Future candles made by the women of HomeStart.
According to Kitchens for Good’s chief executive officer Jennifer Gilmore, the time was ripe for a store specializing in kitchen resale items. “This was a win-win opportunity,” she said. “An influx of baby boomers downsizing and clearing out excess items, coupled with the growing demand for resale items by sustainably-minded millennials, provides the optimal conditions for Kitchens for Good Shop. We believe we are well-positioned for future growth.”
The grand opening will also have live music by Steph Johnson, jazz vocalist and leader of Voices of Our City Choir, food samplings prepared by Kitchens for Good executive chef Ryan Rizzuto, and other notable San Diego chefs. A hands-on children’s crafts table for the younger set with activities such as cookie decorating and all canine attendees will be offered a fresh-baked treat.
Kitchens for Good recently took over the new location for its retail store on the corner of Cass and Hornblend in Pacific Beach, a standalone building that previously housed a Sherwin-Williams Paint outlet. To learn more, visit kitchensforgood.org/shop.
Kitchens for Good
A nonprofit, Kitchens for Good offers transformative opportunities to individuals whose lives have been impacted by trauma and who have faced barriers to employment. Its three apprenticeship programs – culinary, baking, foodservice management – provide technical skills training, life coaching and career counseling, readying apprentices for meaningful careers in the hospitality industry. In addition, over 100,000 nutritious meals are prepared annually to help San Diego families, seniors, veterans, and students experiencing food insecurity.
Founded in 2014, Kitchens for Good is also a sustainability-focused organization, working to reduce food waste and practicing environmental stewardship in its growing portfolio of social enterprises. The organization and its training kitchen are headquartered at 2799 Health Center Drive in Kearny Mesa. For more information, visit https://kitchensforgood.org.
KITCHENS FOR GOOD SHOP
Grand opening: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Where: 980 Hornblend St.
Info: kitchensforgood.org.
