Andrea Lepore, co-founder of the Hot Italian pizzerias in Sacramento, Davis and Emeryville, wants to turn a deserted 35,000-square-foot former truck terminal in Sacramento into Food Factory — a sustainable and advanced shared commercial kitchen to nurture new food industry entrepreneurs. The space would give aspiring founders of new ventures a place where they can experiment, prepare and package foods.

Sacramento is a natural location for a community commercial kitchen because of all the food grown in the region, Lepore said. She said that at least 100 such shared kitchens exist elsewhere around the country. Laws governing cottage food manufacturing set a limit of $50,000 in annual revenue that can be earned from food prepared in home kitchens. After that threshold, producers need to use commercial kitchens with health department and food safety certifications.