Partake Kitchens Offer Flexibility to Food Specialists of All Kinds

“These are great!” “I bet you could sell these!” “That’s quite a specialty!” 

But you have to be able to cook at scale for a business based on a special food work, and your kitchen counters are far too small. The solution? How about a prep kitchen rental for your business needs? 

Partake Collective near downtown Long Beach has become the go-to for several specialty chefs by offering a range of prep kitchen options, including food storage. A shared kitchen rental by the hour has proven popular with many chef-entrepreneurs trying to get a start. 

Anwaar Spence has evolved his business, A’SMORE, over the last two years in the Partake kitchens. It started in 2023 as a place for research in new types of plant-based macaroons and now is a kitchen “factory” for products sold at retail stores, a restaurant and a hotel. 

Simple Beginnings

It started with the classic campout treat, s’mores. How could a simple graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate treat turn into a variety of high-end macaroons, you ask? It began with Anwaar’s passion for plant-based food. 

“I was invited to a s’more event, but I decided to make my own plant-based marshmallow,” Anwaar said. Traditional marshmallows are made with gelatin, which is an animal product. “It stood up, and was able to make s’more kits that were all plant-based. But I felt like it was missing something.” 

Anwaar has a background in biomechanical engineering, and was inclined to reimagine what a s’more could be. But that meant research, which meant testing, which called for a research kitchen. 

“I started to look for kitchens, and came across Partake,” Anwaar said. “My idea was to put it (s’more ingredients) into a French pastry… I landed on macaroons. I had to do research, and the kitchens at Partake were perfect for that.” 

Anwaar said he appreciated the flexibility on an hourly rental – Partake kitchens can be rented by the hour, the month or the year – and the high-end equipment available. With the prep kitchens and catering kitchens as options, Anwaar was able to pay for only the space needed, not a huge kitchen. 

Transformation

Anwaar spent three or four months developing artisanal macaroons with his plant-based marshmallow as a foundation. The first creation was the A’smore with traditional s’more tastes and textures. 

Other creations followed. The current lineup includes Raspberry Yuzu, Matcha Caramel and Truffle Noire. All are completely plant-based. 

“They are all s’more-inspired,” Anwaar said. “And each one is hand-torched to give it that crème brulee approach.” 

And each one is cooked and built at Partake. 

“We went to a fancy food show this year in Vegas,” Anwaar said. “We did a blind taste test, which we won. All of the tasters thought we were not the vegan entry.” 

Anwaar said the Partake kitchen, dry food storage and freezer capabilities all play a role in his business – which now includes two chefs and a social media manager. 

“Partake offered the opportunity to expand,” Anwaar said. “It’s a way to expand and grow while controlling your costs… The other amenities like the conference room, the retail market are all great. I love it there.” 

A’Smore’s website is asmore.com. Anwaar said he hopes to have an order capability there soon. 

 

Ice Cold Hawaiian

Jessica Lin had a lot going for her as 2024 began. She frequently visited Hawaii, had a young son and devoted husband, and a good job as a digital product designer.

Then she lost her job. But it’s Jessica’s nature to continue to smile, and look for the bright side.

That bright side came with Jessica in the form of Hawaiian shaved ice. 

“It’s everywhere over there,” Jessica said. “So I thought it might be popular here. I source all my syrups from Hawaii, I use Hawaiian cane sugar, I can do a vegan version with coconut milk. It’s completely authentic.” 

That authenticity includes an ice shaver that produces a very fine grind as is found in Hawaii. The company name, Water Cake, comes from her son, James Zahradnik, who began asking for “water cake” when he was 3 years old, pointing to Hawaiian shaved ice.

“It can look a little bit like a cake with the colors from the syrups,” Jessica said. “I even do a version with ice cream as a base!” 

Gearing Up

Jessica purchased the custom ice shaver, then started accumulating supplies. The ice has to be frozen in a specific mold to the shape that fits the shaver. And the different types of syrup and other ingredients are significant. 

“One issue I ran up against was that the Hawaiian-based materials can be scarce,” Jessica said. “I’ve found some sources, but I have to store quite a bit.” 

While looking for a base of operations, Jessica came across Partake Collective. In addition to a range of kitchens, Jessica just needed the prep kitchen for a small business. Partake offered dry food storage and freezers. The on-site managers were able to craft an agreement that combined the two. 

Help with the permitting process with the city was an added bonus, Jessica said. 

“When I started, I didn’t know I needed a commercial permit,” she said. “I didn’t know how to get the health permit. Their help setting up the license process was so supportive. 

“So many ghost kitchens just say, ‘here it is.’” Jessica added. “Partake’s flexibility was a real blessing.” 

Jessica is selling her water cakes primarily at farmers’ markets in the area, including downtown Long Beach and Redondo Beach. She said she is still looking for more opportunities, and would like to expand into catering for events. There is a possibility of partnering with other Partake clients, as well. 

“It’s an amazing community,” Jessica said. “There are some great people there. I plan on staying at Partake for some time to come.” 

To contact Jessica, email her at wantwatercake@gmail.com or visit www.water-cake.com. 

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.