Prep Kitchen Bids Farewell After Eight Years of Feeding Creativity

For eight years, Prep–A Chefs’ Kitchen on NE Revere Avenue in Bend, has been more than a set of ovens and countertops. It has been a lively hive of energy and ideas, a testing ground for food ventures that would go on to feed Central Oregon in food trucks, farmers markets, cafes and grocery store shelves. On Sept. 25, the community commissary kitchen will close its doors for good, leaving behind a legacy as rich as any recipe that ever simmered in its pots.

The news is bittersweet. On one hand, owner Mark Louis Katzman, who celebrated his 81^st birthday earlier this year, is ready to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. On the other hand, there is no other kitchen in Central Oregon quite like Prep, a space that has helped more than 275 businesses get off the ground. Its departure is a reminder of how vital such spaces are for small food makers and how much their absence can ripple outward into a community that loves to eat.

When Katzman founded Prep in 2017, his vision was simple but powerful: create an affordable, professional space where food entrepreneurs could test their ideas without taking on the crushing overhead of their own commercial kitchens. In doing so, he planted seeds that would grow into some of Bend’s favorite flavors.

Over the years, Prep became the birthplace or testing ground for businesses like fRed Sauce, Riff Cold Brew, Mimi’s Bagel Deli, Blissful Spoon and Bend Breakfast Burrito. Restaurants like El Sancho used the kitchen during renovations. Makers of everything from hot sauce to kombucha passed through Prep’s doors along with a handful of local caterers. The roster reads like a who’s-who of Central Oregon’s indie food scene: Pili Hunters, Josie’s Best Gluten Free Mixes, Sakari Farms, Bo’s Falafel, The Americana food truck, Masa Empanadas, Bombaci Handmade Pasta, and so many more.

Prep announced their permanent closure on social media August 10, 2025. *Courtesy Prep Bend Facebook*

Even established players came to Prep when they needed extra space for research and development. It was a proving ground, a safety net and a family kitchen all at once.

Ask anyone who spent time at Prep and they will tell you it was more than just a kitchen. It was a community. Businesses swapped advice, taste-tested each other’s recipes and shared the daily grind of chopping, mixing, bottling and baking.

“We are so grateful to have had a place that could get our pasta dreams off the ground,” said Annette Solis, co-founder of Bombaci Pasta. “We are sorry to see our Bend community lose a place that helps small businesses start.” Solis and her husband Gabriel Rossi launched their pasta company last spring and have now moved on to a different location.

The Prep team echoed that sentiment in an August email to Prep clients. “Prep – A Chefs’ Kitchen has been more than just a kitchen space; it has been a community, a launchpad and a creative hub for over 275 local food ventures across Central Oregon,” the email read. That sense of shared effort may be the most lasting ingredient Prep leaves behind.

A Changing Chapter

The closing has been on the horizon for a while. Last August, Katzman sent members a heartfelt letter explaining his decision to retire and put the business up for sale. At the time, the hope was that a new owner would continue operating the space as a commissary kitchen. But earlier this month, members learned the new owners would not be keeping it open to food businesses.

The official closure date of Sept. 25 has now come and gone. For the more than 50 businesses still using the kitchen, it means scrambling for alternatives. Some, like fRed Sauce, began looking for new digs soon after they heard about the sale. Others are still searching. There are a handful of other commissary kitchens in Bend, such as Basecamp Kitchen and Eagle Mountain Kitchen, but there is often a waiting list or limited space.

Tekka Tiger Southeast Asian Food cart closed earlier this month in the Prep parking lot but plans to reopen in a new Bend location soon. *Courtesy* Prep Bend Facebook

Tekka Tiger, the Southeast Asian street food cart that opened in Prep’s parking lot this May, had its last day of service in the Prep location on Aug. 13. It is moving to a new location, taking over the food truck previously owned by Mimi’s Bagel Deli at 3308 N. Highway 97 in Bend, beginning the first week of October, according to owner Rashita Banu. “We’re really looking forward to using the bigger truck to provide more options for our customers and can’t wait to welcome everyone back,” Banu said.

If there is one through-line in all the conversations about Prep, it is gratitude. Gratitude for the space. Gratitude for the community. Gratitude for the chance to turn recipes scribbled on notecards into actual businesses.

Katzman himself expressed that gratitude in a farewell note earlier this month. “It has been our absolute honor to support your ideas, flavors and dreams,” he wrote. “Watching your businesses grow and thrive within these walls has been an experience we will always treasure.” And from the Prep team: “We are endlessly grateful for your support and the memories we’ve built together. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey with us.”

The closing of Prep may mark the end of one chapter, but it also shines a light on the ongoing need for shared kitchen spaces in Central Oregon. The demand is clearly there. Dozens of businesses are actively seeking commissary space right now. Without it, many of them may face tough choices about whether they can continue.

At the same time, Prep’s legacy is proof that when such spaces exist, they can transform a food scene. Central Oregon’s dining landscape is richer, more diverse and more delicious because of what happened inside those kitchen walls. From tangy cold brew to pickled veggies to gluten-free pancakes, the flavors that began at Prep are still feeding the region today.

It is tempting to see Prep’s closing as a loss, and in some ways it certainly is. But it is also a success story. For eight years, this little commissary kitchen nurtured ideas that grew into thriving businesses, introduced neighbors to new tastes and gave countless entrepreneurs the confidence to take their next steps. That impact cannot be undone by a closing date.

After its ovens cool down for the last time, the spirit of Prep will live on in every bagel sold from a truck window, every jar of sauce simmered with love, every burrito unwrapped at a Bend park bench. The kitchen may be closing, but the flavors will keep moving forward.

This article appears in the Source September 4, 2025.