Hudson Kitchen
This is
58
The Numbers:
Jobs Created
$9m
Revenue Generated
Djenaba Johnson-Jones
Founder & CEO
I’m pretty proud of those numbers.
Hudson Kitchen is where CPG founders make their dreams come true:
Grow a team
Accelerate production
Increase sales
But it takes more than hope and a prayer to grow a food business.
Rewind to 2014.
I was Digital Brand Development Director for W Magazine, earning 6 figures, working 4 days a week. And I was SO bored.
I needed a change, and it came knocking on my door. In late October I was called down to the Publisher’s office (who I never talked to). She assured me there were no performance issues, but my position was being eliminated. That day.
I was let go. But I was smiling on the inside. Because I was FREE.
This was MY moment. To do something that I was really passionate about!
Before my layoff I got into fitness and bootcamp-style workouts. So I went all in, got my personal trainer certification, and started planning my new business – a fitness concierge service.
The goal: help busy executives get their workouts in, and eat healthy.
We’d include fresh and nutritious meal delivery, so I found a chef and started testing recipes. And that's when I hit a brick wall…
There were no commercial kitchens in our area.
Here in New Jersey, most entrepreneurs rented space from churches or restaurants, or drove hours to a shared space. The lack of commercial kitchens is a huge problem. So I decided to build my own kitchen – to make my own products and rent out to others.
But the hunt for the right property was a long and winding road. I had no idea New Jersey commercial real estate was so competitive! While I searched, I started hosting networking events to connect with more food business owners.
And that’s where the magic happened.
In 2016 I hosted multiple events for CPG founders and experts to network, learn, and of course, try delicious samples! I didn’t know it then, but community would become the foundation of my business.
As I met with more and more folks, one thing kept coming up – access to info on starting a food business.
I knew how hard it was to find information about licensing and certifications, finding a commercial kitchen, and business planning. I remember searching, reading, and calling around, and thinking, “there must be an easier way.”
So I created my first course. And then another course. And then another.
Over the years we’ve taught our Food Business Bootcamp course to 320+ aspiring entrepreneurs, teaching them step-by-step how to start a food business. In all that networking, community-building and coaching, my true purpose became clear…
I’m here to support CPG business owners.
The next step was obvious – build out a communal kitchen. Not for me, but for the community of founders.
As most food biz things go, it wasn’t simple. We needed a kitchen designer, an architect, equipment, and a business plan. In October of 2018, I took the big leap, and signed a lease on an 8,000 square foot space before financing was closed. We started construction, and I officially opened Hudson Kitchen’s commercial kitchen, storage and co-working facility in December of 2019.
Since then, we’ve been partnering with corporate career changers who are giving up the 9-to-5 and becoming food entrepreneurs.
So yeah, we’re pretty proud of those numbers.
The products launched.
The revenue generated.
The lives changed.
What about you?
Are you ready to get down to (CPG) business?
—
Djenaba Johnson-Jones
FOUNDER & CEO