"People love novelty here in Fresno. I know my people and they love novelty. So as I started making popsicles on a stick, I started to think about other things and people love it," said Donna Mott of Ooh de Lolli.
The Fresno based business was started by Donna Mott, who is always evolving. She made a man-dough on a stick with smoked flour at the newly opened Clovis Culinary Center. The commercial kitchen is for businesses just like Ooh de Lolli.
"The speed with which people are able to produce food is going to be dizzying for them, because they come in with an oven where they can do two half sheet pans of cookies but here they can do 10 racks of full-size sheets at one time," said Don Waddell, Clovis Culinary Center Executive Director.
Waddell said the center is filled with commercial equipment-- from ovens to refrigerators and a lot of counter space. The City of Clovis has seen a rise in entrepreneurs since the cottage law was signed into effect in 2012, which allows people to cook at home and sell their products.
So what we wanted to do was put together a commercial kitchen and food incubator to help these people grow their own businesses. So when they were able to get their own brick and mortar they would be able to survive," said Shawn Miller, Clovis Business Development Manager.
The City of Clovis received numerous grants to make the facility and equipment. Mott is supporting the center as a board member and said space will allow people who want to grow.
"This will give them a lot of latitude to get their product out there."
Businesses can pay-per-hour or by-month to use the commercial space. Fees start at about $17 an hour.
The Clovis Culinary Center is the only commercial kitchen open to the public in the Valley. Organizers are looking forward to seeing business rise and bake up success.