An Exhaust Hood Completes Cortez’s First Community Commercial Kitchen

Local farmers and food entrepreneurs in Cortez have called for an affordable commercial kitchen for over a decade. Without one, they cannot process raw ingredients into products for sale. After raising $175,000 to build a community kitchen at a central downtown location, staff with Four Corners Food Coalition faced one final barrier: They needed a commercial-grade exhaust hood to pass health department inspection. In need of support, they reached out to LOR. LOR’s funding will help Four Corners Food Coalition purchase and install an exhaust hood, completing Cortez’s first community commercial kitchen. The kitchen will serve 10 to 15 local farmers, cooks, and food entrepreneurs in its first year, offering sliding-scale fees and a retail storefront where makers can sell their products.