Nova Scotia Platform Food Web Connects Entrepreneurs With Unused Commercial Kitchens
Food Web, a Nova Scotia-based platform co-founded by chef Justin Andrews and software engineer Keegan Francis, links food entrepreneurs with underutilized commercial kitchens. Backed by a $25,000 grant from Feed Nova Scotia, the initiative helps vendors meet legal production requirements while generating new revenue for host establishments.
Most prepared foods sold in Nova Scotia must be produced in a municipally approved commercial kitchen to comply with legal requirements. For many aspiring food entrepreneurs, securing such space has long been a barrier. Halifax chef Justin Andrews experienced this challenge firsthand in 2016 when he struggled to rent commercial kitchen space for his baked goods business.
In 2023, Andrews partnered with software engineer Keegan Francis to develop Food Web, a technology platform designed to address the shortage of accessible cooking spaces. The initiative secured initial support through a Dalhousie University business accelerator. Before building the platform, the founders interviewed 20 farmers’ market managers to better understand the difficulties vendors face in finding legal production facilities.
Food Web operates as an intermediary, allowing licensed food establishments—including restaurants and community organizations—to rent unused kitchen hours to entrepreneurs who do not own their own facilities. At an average rental rate of $30 per hour, a restaurant renting its kitchen for six hours a week could generate over $9,000 in annual gross revenue before fees.
Participating kitchens across Nova Scotia include Halifax restaurant Almonak, the Halifax Brewery Farmers’ Market, cafés in Dartmouth, and shared facilities in Cape Breton. Among the early users is The Pierogi Girls, a Cape Breton frozen pierogi business that utilized The Whale House—a facility operated by the Multicultural Association of Unama’ki-Cape Breton—for its production needs. Many successful applicants using the platform have been newcomers to Canada bringing cultural foods to local markets.
To further reduce financial barriers, Food Web received a $25,000 grant from Feed Nova Scotia, administered through the Restaurants Association of Nova Scotia. Of that total, $15,000 is dedicated specifically to kitchen rental credits for qualifying food entrepreneurs who are already operational or have credible business plans.