Chef Nekia Allen has many knives in her tool kit – meal prep for those who don’t cook, private dining experiences for home parties, grazing tables for large events, in-person cooking classes, video sessions, mentoring on the business side of food services – it is no exaggeration to say she does it all as Chef Nekia LLC.
It’s no surprise that she has made Partake Collective in Long Beach headquarters for her operations. Partake’s varied ghost kitchens and other amenities offer spaces compatible with everything Chef Nekia wants to do, expanding from a micro-enterprise out of her home kitchen (MEHKO) to a prep kitchen to a display kitchen suitable for a Chef’s Table.
“I’ve been in the food industry for 15 years,” Nekia said. “Everything from a larger catering company to the front of house. I dealt with the logistics, the packing list, and the rest.”
But, Nekia said, her upbringing with her father caused her to gravitate toward serving food by serving people. And Chef Nekia LLC was born.
“In our home growing up, there was always room at the table for more people,” she says on her website, chefnekia.com. “That’s the legacy I am building as a chef.”
As was the case for many entrepreneurs, the COVID-19 pandemic started Nekia down the road to owning her own business. Chef Nekia LLC started by fixing meals for delivery to people’s homes, but her operation quickly grew.
“More and more people wanted to do events,” she said. “It was still COVID, and they were small private dining events.”
That expansion continued as the pandemic eased. The intimate settings prompted some clients to want to “do what you do.” That got Nekia to consider offering classes.
“I’ve always liked to mentor,” she said. “I’d like to do consulting for startups – not just cooking, but the business side, too. That can be hard for some.”
Long Beach Move
In 2022, after the pandemic had released its hold on the world, Nekia decided to relocate. Long Beach was situated in the middle of her client territory – she had been commuting from north of Los Angeles – and the decision was made.
Serendipitously, Partake Collective opened in downtown Long Beach in late 2022. A tour of the various Partake ghost kitchens – cold prep to full cooking area to a showcase chef’s kitchen – convinced Nekia that the space would work for her.
“When I toured the space, I could see the potential for the company to grow,” Nekia said. “I can grow with it. There’s just so much there. More cooking opportunities. More options.”
In the last three years, Nekia has taken advantage of those options. She prepares private dining events for groups from 5 to 200 people. Chef Nekia grazing tables pop up at meetings. Her cooking classes take place at Partake, and consulting sessions can happen there too.
Finally, on July 26, there will be a special event. Chef Nekia Presents A Chef’s Table takes place at Partake, with limited seating still available.
Nekia said she wants to eventually start a nonprofit organization to promote eating healthy meals communally. The things she does today as Chef Nekia LLC will provide both experience and a model for raising revenue.
And Partake Collective might just be the perfect home, she smiled.
Partake Collective offers a wide range of kitchen spaces, including prep spaces, fully equipped commercial kitchens, a Chef’s & Commissary Kitchen and more. Rentals range from hourly and daily to monthly or yearly.
There is also a food hall, a marketplace and food pickup and delivery areas.
Free tours are available by appointment. For more information, go to partakecollective.com.
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