We are a cafe, a community meeting space, and a food incubator dedicated to fostering collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement. Through a 2-month project, we used human-centered design to collect data on the experience of the Dorchester and Roxbury Community. We used insights from our community engagement project to come up with the concept for Comfort Kitchen. Our space features a cozy cafe by day and a restaurant celebrating food entrepreneurs by night. Our community data showed that food is a vital aspect of community building and we are dedicated to supporting local food entrepreneurs that are helping create a more conscious and culturally competent world through their food. We are also actively engaged in the celebration of art and history of our local community. We are Dorchester residents who are committed to partnering with individuals, groups, and organizations who want to make a positive impact.
the opportunity
By investing in Comfort Kitchen, you will support a business that is rooted in three core values; collaboration, cross cultural understanding, and community building.
- Comfort Kitchen sits within one of the most racially and culturally diverse areas of the city. We embrace and build upon this diversity to generate a collaborative future around food and cultural expression. It is located in a dense, diverse, and historically mixed-use neighborhood on the cusp of change. This culturally rich area hosts a dynamic base of local “regulars” living within walking distance and holds potential to attract customers as a destination from further afield.
- According to the census bureau 25,578 potential customers live within a leisurely 12-minute walk of Comfort Kitchen. A range of commercial, residential, and community uses exist with-in this same area, providing activity over many hours of the day and week, and bringing a range of visitors to the area to live, work, and play.
- We will be one of the only mission driven restaurant in the area that will offer a cafe in the morning, restaurant at night with pop-up food incubator in between. Multiple space usage will be used to the fullest to bring in engaging food and social events.
Offerings:
- Multiple Space Usage: A cafe by day, a restaurant by night, a gathering spot at all times — dedicated to fostering collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement
- Food Incubator Pop-up: In partnership with Commonwealth Kitchen, a non-profit kitchen in Dorchester incubating more than 50 community-based businesses, we are offering local mid-level food entrepreneurs an affordable pop-up space for month-long residences or single night events.
- Catering: Both of our founders come with a vast experience in catering. We plan to cater using fresh local produce with exceptional service.
- Events: Community members are welcome to rent the space or collaborate with our team to create engaging social events.
Experienced Founders - Our founders, Biplaw Rai, Nyacko Perry and Kwasi Kwaa, have spent a total of 35 years in the industry. Multi-talented team that has a history of working together and proven record.
Key performance indicators
Year 1 Year 2
- Average Monthly Revenue: $74,058 $82,617
- Average Ticket Size: $10 $11
- Profit Margin: 64% 64%
- Sales per Square Foot: $444 $496
- Sales per Employee: $69,294 $77,302
from the founder
We are very excited for you to be a part of Comfort Kitchen’s next chapter. The community of Upham's Corner, Dorchester is important to us. We live here and we look forward to creating a communal space that celebrates art, history and culture. Our business model will be based on a profit sharing model and ethical business practices that believes in following guiding principles
- Every person and community deserves a healthy balanced lifestyle.
- Healthy Community is the pillar for a thriving economy that involves genuine care for others around us.
- One way to know your community is through the belly. Want to foster relationships with neighbors, friends and strangers? Share a meal.
—Biplaw Rai, Nyacko P. Perry, Kwasi Kwaa
In the press
