Food and beverage entrepreneurs will soon have a new way to try out their concepts in Downtown — the Raleigh Main St. Program is bringing a test kitchen + food hall to Fayettville Street.

The program has been in the works for two or three years by a team from Raleigh Founded, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, H.U.B.B. Kitchens, and Incolo. Last week, the city council authorized seed funding of $584,965 for the program, as well as the use of the space at 219 Fayetteville St. (the former Pizza La Stella location).

Jessica Porta, Executive Director at Raleigh Founded, said 10 years ago the focus was on high growth tech startups with the idea of bringing more jobs to the region. Now, the idea to create this accelerator program for restauranters stems from the lack of resources for people wanting to enter that space.

“If you want to start a business with your husband, you're probably taking out a personal loan, you might be taking out a mortgage on your house,” she said. “The only way you can test your ideas is by starting the restaurant that you want to start and then seeing if it succeeds or fails.”

The program participants will have access to marketing professionals, mentors, accountants, and other resources in addition to the use of the commissary kitchen space in the food hall.

Another goal of the program is to help close some generational wealth gaps in the region, and uplift women of color + those from low socioeconomic statuses, Jessica said.

Applications for the program will be opening next year, likely in the late spring, for the pilot group of five to 10 companies.

Keep up with the Founded Communites website for more information.