Seema Prasad: Small Woman Big Impact
Seema Prasad of Miel Restaurant is leading the charge in sustainability for Nashville
Power To The Producers
Laura Wilson of Citizen Kitchens is the maker behind hundreds of makers
Laura Wilson loves losing clients… when they leave to open their own brick and mortar businesses. Laura is the owner and force behind the Citizen Kitchens, an incubator communal kitchen. Her first location began as a 2,800 square foot facility in Sylvan Park. Her vision was to empower small food businesses and help them grow. The affordable space offered entrepreneur chefs the opportunity to test their concepts without a large price tag, inherently mitigating risk and providing a safe place to succeed or fail.
The concept was a hit and the kitchen had a wait list of 250 chefs after only one month.
Being a trailblazer is in Laura’s DNA. She studied political science, canvased for Ralph Nader, and worked on the Clean Air Act in 1990. At 19, she returned to Tennessee to work as a bookkeeper for a short time before she landed a job making sandwiches in Chattanooga at the Vine Street Market. There, she fell in love with cooking.
"Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master." - Leonardo da Vinci
Laura worked for a time at The Grow Local Kitchen, located in the Nashville Farmers’ Market. The Grow Local Kitchen is a pop-up restaurant that gives cooks access to a commercial kitchen and retail space to sell their food. She found that most chefs wanted to use kitchen space simply to cook. Inspired by the demand for commercial cooking space, Laura launched her idea for an incubator communal kitchen, Citizen Kitchens, in 2015.
After the success of the first Citizen Kitchens, Laura and husband Grant joined forces with Fresh Hospitality to open a second, 8,000 square foot location at the new Hunters Station in East Nashville. They now provide a number of services such as marketing and sales, which give them the freedom to focus on cooking.
Hunters Station unexpectedly provided Laura the opportunity to open a restaurant/coffee bar called The Citizen Kitchens Market. It stocks a daily selection of grab-and-go products including fresh sandwiches, salads, soups, and pastries, all made in the Citizen Kitchens downstairs. The market also features a big selection of locally sourced food products like honey, coffee, and more. The market is super family-friendly with plenty of seating and even games for kids.
Sustainability is a key part of the business. Every piece of to-go ware is compostable and in the kitchen all scraps are composted. A food waste capture program ensures items that can’t be used are donated to organizations such as The Nashville Food Project and Copia. Local growers and artisans are the first stop when ordering fresh produce, meat, and cheese for the kitchen. Additionally, Laura has plans to keep bees on the roof of Hunters Station. Stop by The Citizen Kitchens Market in Hunters Station for a bite and take pride in supporting local chefs with big dreams.
Restaurants that got their start at Citizen Kitchens
Brightside Bakeshop (The Nations)
Kokos Plant Based Ice Cream (One C1ty)
Tacos Aurora (Hunters Station)
Thai Ni Yom (L&L Marketplace)
NoBaked Cookie Dough (5 locations)
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