Barelas Community Kitchen
Food Access in the Albuquerque area
The Barelas Community Kitchen transforms a former warehouse into a commissary kitchen and business incubator supporting food entrepreneurs and job training in Albuquerque’s Barelas neighborhood.
Located in one of Albuquerque’s oldest and predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, the Barelas Community Kitchen addresses long-standing gaps in food infrastructure and business support. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated New Mexico’s restaurant and small food business sector, forcing over 1,155 establishments to close and revealing the urgent need for shared culinary spaces like commissary kitchens—facilities where food entrepreneurs can safely prepare and store their products.
Homewise
Albuquerque: Food Systems Map
Recognizing that recovery required more than just homeownership solutions, the affordable housing nonprofit Homewise partnered with the Albuquerque-based Street Food Institute (SFI) to invest in food infrastructure that supports small business growth and community resilience. In 2020, with support from NeighborWorks America, Homewise conducted the Voices of Barelas survey to better understand local needs. Job training and small business support emerged as top priorities.
SFI helps aspiring and current food entrepreneurs—particularly food truck operators—build the skills and capacity needed to own and operate successful businesses. Each year, about 30% of SFI’s 30 graduates go on to open brick-and-mortar locations or expand their mobile operations. However, limited access to commercial kitchens has been a persistent bottleneck, making it difficult for these entrepreneurs to scale their ventures.
Map of food establishments in Albuquerque
Early investment during the predesign phase allowed Homewise and SFI to secure funding, evaluate sites, and co-develop a programming vision rooted in community priorities. MASS collaborated with the partners and graduates of SFI to design a vibrant 11,000 square foot facility that includes affordable commercial kitchen and storage spaces, classrooms, event areas, and offices for programming and support services.
Homewise
Barelas Neighborhood: Local Zoning
The design reactivates a former warehouse along Fourth Street, a key commercial corridor in Barelas, and honors the neighborhood’s legacy of small business incubation and community-centered development. The kitchen is housed within an adaptive reuse of existing buildings, a strategy that helps maintain the street edge condition and provides storefront spaces for SFI graduates. The architecture takes cues from the character of Barelas, bridging indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. In keeping with the vibrant mural tradition of the neighborhood, the tiled facades weave color throughout the building and recessed openings provide natural shading.
The second level houses nine office and artist studios for small business entrepreneurs, expanding the project’s impact beyond food. More than a kitchen, the space will be a hub for intergenerational learning, cultural exchange, and inclusive economic opportunity.
