Culinary Market District in Manatee: Recipe for economic success

A popular trend in American culture over the past several years is a focus on food. From the rise of celebrity chefs on television to a focus on local sourcing and sustainability, food has become more than mere sustenance — it is a cultural driver and an economic catalyst.

In Manatee County, we are looking to the food culture to galvanize job creation and business growth as the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. convenes the community around creating a Culinary Arts Market District.

Introduced last year in the EDC’s strategic plan, the district would be a designated geographic area focused on a food and culinary experience that creates jobs, broadens the municipal tax base, engages residents and attracts visitors. That description is borrowed from a model being developed in Bentonville, Ark., but the concept is popping up from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Oakland Park, Fla.

The benefits of these districts can be many-fold as they influence business development and expansion decisions, inspire downtown revitalization, build community identity, stimulate the growth of culinary enterprises, improve access to healthy food options for local residents, promote a healthier community, and provide a necessary component to support residential development opportunities.

Brooklyn, the American Planning Association reports, “is experiencing an economic transformation as a result of food. A growing gastronomical entrepreneurial energy is transforming once industrial, underutilized pockets of Brooklyn into culinary oases.”

“Entrepreneurs in their 20s and 30s, who often have a strong sense of community and creativity, are opening restaurants, bars, pubs, specialty shops, butcheries, coffee shops, and other food production and processing facilities throughout the borough. These businesses are not only meeting the growing local and regional demand for locally produced and wholesome foods but also creating an incubator for culinary quality, craftsmanship, and artistry.”

The EDC’s multi-year strategic plan calls for convening leaders in the local food culture to explore the area’s culinary assets and consult on a path forward for a market district in the Bradenton area. It’s the same approach we took with the sports performance sector, which sparked a regional focus on that employment-rich industry.

In June, the EDC will host a by-invitation event featuring a panel discussion among leaders in Manatee County’s culinary scene. Topics will include local sourcing, environmental sustainability, sustainable seafood, artisan butchery, food waste reduction, ethnic cuisine, farm/estates branded items, house-made products, culinary and cultural place-making, food trucks, and healthy kids’ meals.

Through this conversation and others to follow, the EDC will identify leaders and partners who want to drive the culinary district forward. We will map the assets already in the community that are related to the sector, such as culinary arts training at Southeast and Manatee High Schools, as well as the culinary arts career certificate programs at Manatee Technical College.

Food is a basic necessity for life. Through a culinary arts market district, the food scene can also become a key ingredient for economic development success for Manatee County.

Sharon Hillstrom is president and chief executive officer of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. (thinkbradentonarea.com). She may be contacted at info@thinkbradentonarea.com or 803-9036.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 9:26 AM with the headline "Culinary Market District in Manatee: Recipe for economic success."