Rates
Simple, published pricing. Plans are prepaid monthly by automatic payment.
Kitchen time
Pay as you go: $27 an hour, with a $160 monthly minimum credited to your kitchen time
Regular plan: $440 a month, includes 20 hours ($22 an hour). Extra hours $22
Pro plan: $800 a month, includes 40 hours ($20 an hour). Extra hours $20
Production plan: $1,360 a month, includes 80 hours ($17 an hour). Extra hours $17
Oven, stove and kettle time: $15 an hour, added to your kitchen time
Storage (monthly, open shelving)
Walk-in freezer: $150 a full rack, or $35 a shelf
Walk-in refrigerator: $125 a full rack, or $30 a shelf
Climate-controlled storage: $125 a full rack or pallet, or $30 a shelf
Roll-up dry storage: $100 a full rack or pallet, or $25 a shelf
Storage racks
The walk-in freezer and walk-in refrigerator are fully racked. We also keep shared racks in the climate-controlled and roll-up rooms for renters who rent by the shelf. If you rent a full rack or pallet space in those rooms, bring your own rack or pallet: standard 18" x 48" metal wire shelving units on wheels, such as the Regency 18" x 48" mobile shelving kit from WebstaurantStore. Other sizes or types need approval from kitchen management first.
Equipment in the kitchen
Large or additional equipment may not be brought into the kitchen without prior approval from kitchen management.
How billing works
Your plan and storage are charged automatically each month on your start date.
Hours beyond your plan are billed at your plan's rate and charged the day after you use them.
Pay by credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. Plans renew automatically each month.
A one-time $25 setup and onboarding fee covers your first equipment onboarding session.
Deposit: $500 for pay as you go, one month's plan for monthly plans, or one month's storage for storage only.
Book at least 2 hours at a time, up to 60 days ahead. Cancel free up to 48 hours before your booking.
Quick storage visits of 15 minutes or less, with no cooking or equipment use, are not billed as kitchen time.
Estimates exclude the deposit and the one-time $25 setup fee.
Why rent from Chico's Cooking Place
A commercial kitchen costs six figures to build and thousands a month to run. Renting gives you the same equipment for a fraction of the cost, with none of the risk.
Save money. No build-out, no equipment loan and no long lease. You pay only for the time and storage you use.
One simple bill. Your kitchen time, equipment, utilities, repairs and cleaning supplies are covered in one monthly charge.
Industrial equipment, without buying or maintaining it. Rack ovens, 60-quart mixers, a steam kettle and walk-in cold storage, kept in working order by us.
Start in about two weeks. Not the months it takes to build and permit your own kitchen.
Month to month. Grow from a few hours to 80 hours a month, and change plans as your business changes.
Sell more. A permitted commercial kitchen lets you make foods and reach customers that a home kitchen can't.
Compare your options
Example: a baker using 40 kitchen hours a month, 20 of them on the ovens, with one freezer shelf and one climate-controlled rack.
Work from home
Upfront cost: A small county registration fee
Time to start: A few weeks
Monthly cost: Low
Equipment: Your home oven and mixer
Utilities, repairs and supplies: Your home bills
Commitment: None
What you can make: Approved shelf-stable foods only, with an annual sales cap
Rent from us
Upfront cost: A deposit and a one-time $25 setup fee
Time to start: About two weeks
Monthly cost: About $1,260
Equipment: Rack ovens, 60-quart mixers, steam kettle and walk-ins, maintained by us
Utilities, repairs and supplies: Included
Commitment: Month to month
What you can make: Whatever your permit allows
Lease and build your own
Upfront cost: $100,000 or more for build-out and equipment
Time to start: 4 to 8 months for construction and permits
Monthly cost: About $4,000 to $5,000 for rent, a loan payment, utilities and repairs
Equipment: You buy it, finance it and fix it
Utilities, repairs and supplies: All yours
Commitment: A 3 to 5 year lease plus a loan
What you can make: Whatever your permit allows
When does your own kitchen make sense? At about 150 to 200 hours a month, renting costs about the same as running a small kitchen of your own. Until then, renting is the low-risk way to grow.
Estimates are based on 2026 Chico lease listings and typical build-out costs. Your costs will vary. Use the calculator above for your own estimate.