For makers and farms

Co-packers, shared kitchens and food business help in Hawaii

Q: Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you still make the product yourself, rent time in a licensed shared or commissary kitchen. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production.

17 businesses and programs in Hawaii that help small food makers and farms make, store and move product: 0 co-packers, 2 shared kitchens, 8 programs and official lists, and 7 cold storage companies, distributors, processors and suppliers.

0Co-packers
2Shared kitchens
8Programs and lists
17Listings in all

Get listed Shops that carry small makers in Hawaii

Programs and official lists in Hawaii

8 listed. Start here. State and university programs that help food businesses with recipes, safety plans and licensing, and the public lists they keep.

Hawaii Island Commercial Kitchen Directory
HI · hawaiicommercialkitchens.com · source
Directory of certified rentable kitchens on Hawaii Island
Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association
Honolulu, HI · foodsofhawaii.com
Trade association of Hawaii food manufacturers
INNOVATE Hawaii (HTDC)
Honolulu, HI · htdc.org
State manufacturing extension center for small and mid-size manufacturers
Mana Up
Honolulu, HI · manauphawaii.com · source
Accelerator for Hawaii-based consumer product companies
Maui Food Innovation Center (UH Maui College)
Kahului, HI · maui.hawaii.edu · source
College food incubator and accelerator with shared production facility
Common Ground Accelerator
Kilauea, HI · commongroundkauai.com
Accelerator for small local food and beverage businesses
Malama Kauaiproduce
Lihue, HI · malamakauai.org
Nonprofit building local food production and access on Kauai
Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (Leeward Community College)
Wahiawa, HI · source
Five kitchens, HPP, storage and packing space rented hourly

Shared and commissary kitchens in Hawaii

2 listed. Licensed kitchens you rent by the hour or month, often with storage and business help.

Hilo Food Hub (Hoola Farms)
Hilo, HI · hoolafarms.org · source
Agribusiness incubator kitchen with storage and product development
Pacific Gateway Center Culinary Business Incubator
Honolulu, HI · pacificgatewaycenter.org · source
Incubator kitchen used by dozens of Honolulu food startups

Cold storage and fulfillment in Hawaii

1 listed. Refrigerated and frozen warehousing, and companies that pick, pack and ship orders for food brands. Ask about minimums, since some mostly serve larger brands.

Unicold Corporationfrozen
Honolulu, HI · unicoldcorp.com
Refrigerated warehouse in Honolulu and chilled freight from West Coast

Distributors and food hubs in Hawaii

6 listed. Specialty, natural and local food distributors, and food hubs that aggregate from small producers.

Kohala Food Hubproduce
Hawi, HI · kohalafoodhub.com
Food hub selling locally made and grown products
Farm Link Hawaiiproduce
Honolulu, HI · farmlinkhawaii.com
Online local grocery delivery on Oahu from farmers and makers
Hawaii Ulu Cooperativeproducefrozen
Kailua-Kona, HI · eatbreadfruit.com
Farmer co-op processing and selling breadfruit and local starches
Adaptationsproduce
Kealakekua, HI · adaptationsaloha.com
Food hub linking 230-plus family farms to CSA and wholesale
Maui Hubproduce
Kula, HI · mauihub.org
Nonprofit online hub for local Maui produce
Kahumana Organic Farmsproduceorganic certified
Waianae, HI · kahumana.org
Organic farm with a food hub in Lualualei Valley

Suppliers that ship to Hawaii

Packaging, fulfillment and distribution are mostly national. See insulated boxes, gel packs and dry ice, jars, labels and boxes, cold storage and fulfillment and specialty food distributors. For the how-to, read how to start cold shipping and shipping supplies for food makers.

Get listed, or fix a listing

Co-packer, shared kitchen, packaging supplier, cold storage or distributor that works with small food makers and farms? Send the details and we will add you. Listings are free. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.

Software and setup for makers

Madeline's sets up the back office for small food makers and farms: inventory and lot tracking, shipping and cold chain, wholesale ordering, recipe costing and labels and more. See Artisanal Solutions, or sell on the Madeline's marketplace.

Questions

What is a co-packer?

A co-packer (contract packer) is a licensed food plant that makes and packs your product to your recipe. You own the brand and the recipe. They own the equipment, the inspections and the labor. Most ask for a minimum run, so call several and compare minimums, price per unit and what they will source for you.

Shared kitchen or co-packer: which do I need?

If you are still making it yourself, rent time in a shared or commissary kitchen. It is licensed, so you can sell beyond cottage food limits. When orders outgrow your own hands, a co-packer takes over production. Many makers use a kitchen for a year or two first.

Where does this list come from?

From public lists kept by state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and from each business's own site. Listings that came from a public list link to that source. A listing is not an endorsement, so check licensing, insurance and minimums yourself.

How do I get listed or fix a listing?

Use the form on this page. Listings are free.

Sources: public lists from state agriculture departments, university extension and food innovation centers, and each business's own site. Listings are independent businesses and are not affiliated with Madeline's. A listing is not an endorsement.