S3561

The New York State Senate passed legislation requiring the Empire State Development Corporation to study the economic impact of kitchen incubators across the state, with a 60-2 vote. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Cleare, would direct the state agency to develop an action plan for locating and optimizing shared commercial kitchen spaces in public and private facilities. Supporters argued that kitchen incubators address a critical barrier to food entrepreneurship: the prohibitive cost of installing commercial kitchens, which can exceed $20,000. Sen. Borrello cited a successful example in his Western New York district and called for state budget funding to expand the program. Sen. Cleare emphasized that shared commercial kitchens are proven solutions but remain insufficient in number and access. The bill would also require Empire State Development to develop comprehensive business and advisory services to complement incubator services and help startups succeed. Only Sens. Martinez and Skoufis voted against the measure. The bill previously passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the Governor.