Athens Kitchen Incubator

A woman and a child sit together outdoors, smiling while holding ice cream cones.

Building on the success of the LITE House coworking space and business incubator, Main Street Athens received several federal, state, and local grants to fund a restaurant incubator in downtown Athens. In partnership with Proof Incubator, headquartered in Chattanooga, the space provides aspiring restaurateurs with low-cost space, training, and technical assistance, with the goal of launching several restaurants in their own space in downtown Athens.

Funding Sources

USDA Rural Development $100,000
Tennessee Placemakers $75,000
Agricultural Enterprise Fund $50,000
Local Government Funding $40,000
Lyndhurst Foundation $6,000