Become an Insider
 
 

Commit to a Recurring Gift, Enjoy Delicious Perks!
 

Get exclusive perks, delicious experiences, and a deeper connection to our community. Your tax-deductible monthly or annual support not only fuels La Cocina’s mission, but enables us to plan ahead, reduce costs, and sustain programs—making a lasting difference.

Perks may include early access to event tickets, seasonal programs, and partner offerings; online shop discounts; invitations to our Drop-In Market for tastings of candidates; catered dining opportunities with early-stage entrepreneurs.

  • Subsidizes 8 hours of kitchen usage—giving entrepreneurs space to test recipes, fulfill orders, and prepare for sales opportunities, directly translating into income and confidence.

  • Funds essential facility and equipment repairs and upgrades across two kitchen spaces, ensuring entrepreneurs have reliable equipment to create product so they can focus on their business growth.

  • Supports pro-bono attorneys working alongside a new cohort to create legal business entities or PR and marketing support that can cost $6K/month for many restaurants.

  • Supports capital projects, like new restaurants, which require hundreds of thousands of dollars -- if not millions. This fuels legal fees, lease negotiations, and investor relations.

 
 
 
Insiders Fuel Entrepreneurial Success Like Chef Heena's

“I wish my sisters in Gujarat had a La Cocina because they’re so talented. But how will they know their potential if no one is asking, ‘What do you want to become?’ Before La Cocina, I felt ignored and overlooked. But here, I was seen and celebrated. That support transformed what I’m able to do.”

Chef Heena Patel’s restaurant, Besharam, was named Eater SF’s “2019 Restaurant of the Year. The name "Besharam" means “shameless” — a motto Heena learned from her mother. In 2018, Heena opened her restaurant, but after a partnership failed to support her vision, she took full control, transforming it into the bold, innovative, award-winning space she was always capable of creating.

Heena joined La Cocina in 2013, receiving technical assistance and support through each chapter of her business. Your recurring gift makes that possible.

Photos by Celeste Noche for The Washington Post, Minnesota Street Project, and Eric Wolfinger.