January 25, 2017
Jay’s 120, a new fast-casual dining concept that will be housed in the Chef Space Kitchen Incubator, is expected to open later this month.
Chef Space is an incubator for young food businesses at the former Jay’s Restaurant, at 1812 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. in West Louisville. The Jay’s 120 program will allow Chef Space members to test their fast-casual dining concepts without the risk of long-term leases and high equipment costs, according to a news release.
“We’re providing our members with an opportunity to serve food, run a restaurant, and give back to the community without the risk,” Chris Lavenson, president of Chef Space, said in the release. “By providing them with all of the resources, Chef Space members can focus on crafting the best experience for their customers and developing efficient economic and business models.”
Jay’s 120 will challenge Chef Space members over the course of 120 days to develop, implement and polish their restaurant concept. The space has state-of-the-art service equipment and a fully stocked dining room, according to the release, so members will be able to practice in a professional grade dining hall that will mimic the standard for high quality service and retail.
“We are not just in the business of creating restaurants, we want to mold entrepreneurs into well-rounded business owners,” said Lavenson.Chef Space opened 14 months ago. It has more than 40 members and has seen 30 entrepreneurs expand their operations. Daddy Rich’s, the first company to join the Jay’s 120 program, has seen quick success.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Rodrick Martin, part owner of Daddy Rich’s, said in the release. “With Jay’s 120, we are going to be able to move out into the community with confidence, knowing that we’ve run our very own restaurant.”
This article appeared first in the Louisville Business First by David A. Mann. You can read the original article here.