Bay View Community Center unveils new kitchen and new opportunities
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A south side community group and its volunteers hope a brand-new kitchen will open up a number of new opportunities in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood.
The Bay View Community Center unveiled its newly-renovated building Monday night.
The highlight of the project is the kitchen, which features a three-level professional baking oven. Mike Mortell, the president and CEO of the center, said that will allow its food pantry to make more fresh meals with produce it receives via the Hunger Task Force.
"We can cook it into something else, a soup or a sauce, or a lasagna, something like that.," Mortell said. "And then, save that, freezing it, and then give it out to the pantry customers later."
Mortell said it'll be vital to boost production at the food pantry, which is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The pantry has gone from serving an average of 112 people per month in 2019, right before the COVID-19 pandemic, to a record-high 1,365 people this past September.
"I think a lot of that is coming from the inflation and housing instability," Mortell said. "There's a housing shortage, and people just don't have the budget for everything they need."
The hope here is the new oven will also address a shortage of commercial baking space. A.J. Dixon, a longtime volunteer at the center, was making pizzas in the kitchen ahead of Monday's celebration.
Dixon owned and operated the Lazy Susan restaurant for nine years before decided to move on from the business earlier this year.
Dixon said the commercial oven will allow those looking to start a baking business to get their foot in the door. The center will also help provide guidance to the fledgling entrepreneurs.
"You know, how do you open your business, how do you start your business," Dixon said. "A little bit of training, like what you need, what kind of licenses, as well as giving the space and tools to start their business."
Mortell said the center plans to rent out the oven for 40-60 hours a week. He said two businesses have so far expressed interest, and there's still space for five or six more.
Dixon said just a few hours a week can make a big difference for a small business that otherwise wouldn't have access to a three-level oven.
"This can fit three full sheet trays all the way across," Dixon said while loading a tray of pizzas into the oven. "So, if you think you can get six loaves of bread on each one of those sheet trays, that's 18 loaves of bread in each oven at once."
Mortell said anyone interrested in renting the kitchen should email the center directly.
The total renovation cost about $730,000. Mortell said the city of Milwaukee provided $125,000 while Bader Philanthropies gave a grant of $100,000.
Hunger Task Force provided $25,712, and another $25,000 came from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Grace Presbyterian Church added another $15,000. The rest of the funding came from a loan and the center's reserves.