Spice Bridge food hall: A space to celebrate equity, food access and innovation

The aromas of foods from Senegal, Argentina, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Philippines and more fill Spice Bridge food hall and commercial kitchen at Tukwila Village. In 2020, after years of relationship-building and community-led design, the Food Innovation Network (FIN), a program of Global to Local, opened Spice Bridge to enhance the local food system, increase access to healthy and culturally specific foods and support local food businesses in South King County.

Spice Bridge gives the talented chefs in FIN’s Food Business Incubator program access to affordable commercial kitchen space, retail food stalls and a dining area. The program also offers support for building successful businesses — from licensing to pricing to marketing.

“FIN is all about building each other up through healthy food and entrepreneurship,” shares Krizia Cherece, owner of Wengay’s Kitchen, one of eight women-owned food businesses that have made their home at Spice Bridge. “We’re all learning from each other. We’re all women business owners, and it’s just nice that we’ve been helping each other grow. It’s nice to build that family, that community within our program.”

Communities of Opportunity (COO) partners with FIN to support Spice Bridge and the engagement of Community Food Advocates, leaders from different communities of South King County who address racial inequity in food systems and advise FIN on community needs and ways to reach different cultural groups.

“My role and my passion is to reach out to immigrant and refugee communities to create that sense of safety and trust,” explains Njambi Gishuru, Cultural Outreach Specialist with FIN.

To help with the economic pressures of COVID-19, FIN offered Spice Bridge businesses additional financial assistance in 2020. In turn, the chefs supported FIN’s community meals program, preparing more than 8,700 no-cost meals for seniors and families in need. Global to Local also expanded programs in partnership with COO to address urgent needs that emerged during the pandemic, including employment services, food and baby supplies and help with rent. Spice Bridge food hall and the Food Incubator Business program embody a model of community resilience and innovation for the King County region and beyond.

A space for sharing culture through food and connection, a focus on shifting policies and systems to support local economic development, and a network to promote equitable access to entrepreneurship for immigrant and refugee women — FIN promises to transform the business and food landscape in King County for years to come.