Shenandoah University Received Grant to plan Commercial Kitchen for Valley Entrepreneurs

Link to News Spotlight: Shenandoah University receives grant to plan commercial kitchen for Valley entrepreneurs

Grant fuels valley food entrepreneurs
By Mair Famet
Published: Jul. 3, 2026 at 10:29 AM EDT
WINCHESTER, Va. (WHSV) – As Christina Willis folds fresh empanadas inside her Winchester commissary kitchen, the space around her tells the story of a growing business.
What began as a way to expand operations for her restaurant, Sexi Mexi, Christina’s Commissary, has evolved into a shared commercial kitchen serving food trucks, caterers, farmers and other entrepreneurs looking for licensed kitchen space.
Now, Shenandoah University hopes to create a similar resource for the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
The university has received a $100,000 GO Virginia planning grant to develop a commercial kitchen and culinary hub in the former Buzzins dining space in Vaden Campus Commons.

Executive Director for GO Virginia Region 8, Alison Varner-Denbigh, said the project is designed to strengthen regional collaboration while supporting one of the Shenandoah Valley’s largest industries.
“The Collaboration portion in the northern Valley really makes this one unique and that’s it’s supporting the agricultural industry,” Varner-Denbigh said.
University leaders say the project would give food entrepreneurs access not only to licensed commercial-grade equipment but also to business mentoring, networking opportunities and workforce training.
The project will be supported by the university’s Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs, also known as the HIVE.

“What we learned was that having the kitchen wasn’t enough,” said Marguerite Landenberger, Shenandoah University’s associate vice president for development. “Food entrepreneurs also needed a support system on how to run a business.”
The effort stems from a GO Virginia-funded feasibility study that found many small-scale farmers and food entrepreneurs are forced to leave the region because they lack access to licensed commercial kitchens.
Tammy Wagner, director of Shenandoah University’s first Nutrition and Dietetics Graduate Program, said the facility will also serve as a learning space for students and the community.
“Not only is this a training space for Shenandoah, it’s also a training space for the community,” Wagner said. “Coaching, mentoring, everybody coming together and helping each other.”

Wagner adds that the commercial kitchen can also support certifications such as ServSafe and AllerTrain, providing education on food safety and food allergy awareness while giving students hands-on experience alongside local businesses.
The university is partnering with local governments, economic development organizations and food entrepreneurs throughout the planning process. One of those partners is Willis.
Willis opened her commissary kitchen earlier this year after outgrowing the kitchen in her former restaurant.
“I had a tiny little kitchen at the restaurant, and now I have this huge line of cooking equipment,” Willis said. “When we have a big event, we don’t have to stockpile for weeks ahead of time.”

Instead, she says everything can be made fresh.
Willis said she hopes to share her experience with future entrepreneurs by offering guidance on navigating permits, regulations, and other challenges associated with starting a food business.
The university will spend the next 12 months gathering community input and developing a strategic business plan before seeking additional funding to launch the commercial kitchen.
Depending on whether future funding is secured, university leaders hope the facility will become a regional resource that helps local food entrepreneurs grow their businesses, create jobs, and strengthen the area’s economy.
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