Food pantries receive valuable donations but also purchase food, box it, and distribute it to residents.  Donations from food banks often contain limited healthy or fresh options in favor of more shelf stable (often high salt) products.  Residents can be constrained by lack of transportation, limited options for elderly/disabled, or diet restrictions.  Little direct communication occurs with patrons so no additional services are offered.  Pantries also typically operate during limited hours/days and needy clients don’t know how to use the donated food to prepare a complete meal.  Our Post Pantry will provide balanced food boxes that meet their specific needs but overcome greater barriers to accessing food.

Shared kitchens are licensed commercial spaces that provide a pathway for food entrepreneurs— ranging from chefs, caterers, food truck operators, and bakers, to value added producers and packaged food and beverage makers—to launch and grow their businesses. By renting space in a shared kitchen on an hourly, daily, or monthly basis, businesses can produce food in compliance with regulatory requirements without needing to invest in their own facility during a stage when capital and cash flow are a challenge. In addition, our kitchen will provide cooking classes and a culinary medicine curriculum that teaches how to use the healthy foods provided throughout The Post Marketplace including The Post Pantry and the Farm to School program. By providing entrepreneurs, producers, and food access programs with affordable space, shared kitchens can help strengthen local food systems and build community prosperity. Future Lake County food businesses can test their concepts in the marketplace before risking the upfront capital investment typically required.

Food Hubs provide a centrally located facility with a business management structure that facilitates aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing of locally and regionally produced food products. One key goal is to give small and medium-sized food producers access to larger additional markets to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand. Our Food Hub will contain artisanal food vendors selling items like gourmet meats and cheeses, bakery goods, chocolates, artisan breads, gourmet pastas etc. We will also offer unique culinary offerings like vegan or vegetarian as well as lifestyle brands. If you know a local food business that might be interested in being part of the Food Hub, connect with us and we’ll follow up.

The Post Grocery/Market will be the only retail store carrying premium grocery and home products in the far Northeastern corner of Illinois. From our planned location in North Chicago, IL, The Post Market will serve consumers seeking high quality food, beverage, personal care, and home care items but not wanting to drive 9 miles or more to the next closest premium grocery store. The market will carry a variety of products from trusted brands that are unique and, whenever possible, contain organic/all-natural ingredients and environmentally friendly/sustainable materials.