When Trudy, a trained pastry chef, struggled to find an affordable, welcoming kitchen to launch her cake business, she never imagined she’d one day own a growing network of shared-use kitchens across Florida. Today, Bakery Pro is doing just that—offering accessible, baker-friendly kitchen spaces for food entrepreneurs in underserved communities.
The Birth of Bakery Pro Kitchen
Trudy’s journey began with frustration: “I was rolling fondant for wedding cakes surrounded by caterers in kitchens that didn’t fit my needs. And I couldn’t afford $30–$40 an hour when I was just starting out,” she explains. After years in the wedding industry, she stepped away from full-time baking to raise her son—but she didn’t leave the industry. Instead, she set out to build the kitchen she always wished she had.
The result? A space tailored for bakers, charcuterie makers, and food artisans—with a unique pricing model that rewards usage: the more hours you book, the lower your rate. “I wanted it to be accessible. I’ve been there. I know what they need.”
Growth Through Mentorship and Community
But Trudy didn’t stop at affordability. She infused Bakery Pro with mentorship, offering hands-on advice to members trying to perfect recipes or navigate early business hurdles. That culture of support helped Bakery Pro grow quickly—first in Brandon, then expanding to Sarasota, Orlando, West Palm Beach, and now Fort Lauderdale, with Fort Myers and Palm Bay on the horizon.
Her secret? Strategic placement.
“I build shared kitchens in underserved areas—places where people were driving an hour just to find kitchen space.”
Franchising with Heart (and Hustle)
Trudy keeps her franchise model accessible, with low entry points and strong operational support. Her goal isn’t just growth—it’s building opportunity.
That franchise model includes more than layout plans and equipment lists. Franchisees also inherit a built-in support system, from operations to tech. At the core of that system is The Food Corridor.
Why The Food Corridor Powers Every Location
From the start, Trudy knew she needed a tool built specifically for shared-use kitchens.
“By the time I hit my fourth client, I realized I couldn’t do this without a real CRM. I’d used systems in the past for my cake business, but I needed something built for kitchens. The Food Corridor was.”
With only about 40 hours of collective staff time per week across all five locations, Trudy’s team is able to run a remarkably lean operation.
“I did the first two kitchens by myself,” she says. “As we grew, I of course needed more support—but with The Food Corridor automating so much of our operations, I’m able to keep staff overhead to a minimum.”
The platform also empowers her clients.
“The Food Corridor makes it easy for clients to book time in our kitchen,” she says. “We generate more revenue as a result.”
What’s Next: A Nonprofit Kitchen for Even More Makers
Trudy’s mission to serve food entrepreneurs doesn’t stop with Bakery Pro. She’s now laying the groundwork for a nonprofit called Culinary Makers—designed to support businesses that need a larger, more traditional commissary kitchen setup, like full-scale caterers.
“I want to build something bigger—where everybody can work through the nonprofit. Caterers, bakers, startups. People who don’t need a full kitchen can still use our underutilized hours. And those who do will finally have a space that fits their needs.”
With a board of directors assembled and early funding coming from private sources, Culinary Makers is on its way to becoming a vital resource for food entrepreneurs who’ve been priced out or underserved by the existing kitchen ecosystem.
The goal? Expand opportunity without expanding the barrier to entry—just like she’s always done.
“It’s a community I’m trying to build… the more it grows, the better for everybody. Everybody gets to eat.”
A list of Bakery Pro Kitchen locations throughout Florida:
📍 Brandon (Tampa)
📍 Sarasota
📍 Orlando
📍 West Palm Beach
📍 Fort Lauderdale (open as of June 2025)
📍 Fort Myers (coming 2026)
📍 Palm Bay (in the pipeline)
Today, The Food Corridor powers everything from bookings to billing across five active Bakery Pro kitchens, supporting a network of over 300 clients.
“I couldn’t do this without The Food Corridor,” she says. “And now it’s even better with the Leads Manager. The onboarding checklists alone save my team so much time.”
Leads Manager has become a key part of their intake process—helping qualify the right fit before onboarding begins.
“In the past, we’d get halfway through onboarding and realize they were a meal prep business—not the right fit. Now we catch that earlier. It saves everyone time.”
Favorite Feature of The Food Corridor:
“Onboarding lists are fantastic ‘cause they don’t have to call to be like, well what’s the next step? What’s the next step?… I’ve always had my little generic Word document with the checklist… it’s been very helpful.”
“The Intake Form also helps us figure out who’s a good fit for our kitchen and who’s not… we would have somebody sign up, get almost to the commissary letter part, and then realize—whoa, you’re meal prepping, you’re not in this kitchen.
Advice to Aspiring Operators:
“Know your market. Visit farmer’s markets. Talk to the people first. Don’t build and hope they come—build where they already are.”
