Upstart Kitchen
Community Engagement  |  Milwaukee, WI

UpStart Kitchen is a bold example of community-driven transformation that repurposes an existing space into a launchpad for food entrepreneurs and community nourishment. This project converted a former barbershop into a fully functional commercial food service incubator, providing the infrastructure and support systems necessary for small-scale chefs, caterers, and culinary ventures to thrive. Operating in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood, UpStart Kitchen is designed not merely as a kitchen, but as a catalyst for economic opportunity, social uplift, and food justice.

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DREAM Builders guided ownership group through every stage of the facility’s transformation—from documenting existing conditions to delivering construction-ready plans and providing construction-phase oversight. We begin by performing an existing conditions assessment. From there, we engaged the administration food service consultants through in-depth programming to ensure that the design was functional and was poised for future expansion. Concurrently, zoning and code analysis with change-of-use studies were integrated to ensure compliance with local zoning and building codes. Our design work translated these insights into effective floor plans, circulation schemes, and spatial relationships tailored for shared commercial food use. As the project progressed into documentation, we coordinated with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and other building systems to ensure the converted space performed safely and reliably. In the later phases, our team supported bidding, negotiation, construction administration, and construction management, all tailored to the pace and complexity of the build.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, UpStart Kitchen functions as a centerpiece for community collaboration, business mentorship, and food access. Since its launch, it has supported dozens of entrepreneurs, facilitated community meals, and opened doors for new food ventures. By bringing together design precision, regulatory strategy, and community mission, the UpStart Kitchen project exemplifies how adaptive reuse can enable social impact. The completed facility does not just house a commercial kitchen—it serves as a living ecosystem where culinary creativity, entrepreneurship, and community resilience coalesce.

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Scope of Services

• Existing Conditions Analysis + Documentation

• Programming

• Zoning & Code Analysis, Change of Use

• Design

• Marketing

• Building Systems + Food Service Coordination

• Construction Documentation

• Construction Administration