Through the fall of 2019 and early 2020, Community Food Lab worked alongside Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO) of Henderson NC to begin development of a mission-driven commercial kitchen to occupy an unused local school kitchen. Community Food Lab created a Feasibility Analysis and Operational Recommendations report for this project that has helped guide GRRO's progress towards greater impact around food and health.

GRRO, led by the energetic and passionate Henry Crews, works intentionally across all of the food system, focused on the Henderson region. With their remarkable track record of urban agriculture innovation, mobile food distribution, and organization of rural partnerships, GRRO is able to act on key insights into urgent food and health issues, and has the ability to recognize food system needs and opportunities in their community. After a collaboration with Kofi Boone's NCSU College of Design studio helped open their eyes to new urban possibilities, GRRO began exploring creative options for next steps.

To focus their energy, creativity, and service to vulnerable families, Community Food Lab joined GRRO in refining a vision for a non-profit commercial kitchen venture where meals could be prepared for seniors, HeadStart youth, and low-income adults struggling with chronic diet-related disease. Through this model, GRRO would create needed local jobs; support area farmers through partner food aggregators; and revitalize underused Henderson buildings.

Community Food Lab built strategy around GRRO's organizational goals, studied and refined business opportunities, created a concept kitchen plan and business model, and wrote a flexible, forward-looking operational roadmap to guide investments, staffing, partnerships, and facility development.