06/11/2025
We are beyond excited to announce the expansion of the Kitchen Hub Stl! This incredible opportunity allows us to grow our mission and support even more talented food makers in the St. Louis community. We feel truly blessed and ready to serve providing a space where culinary dreams and local flavors can flourish.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kitchen Hub, Cultivating unique STL Food Brands, is the innovative shared kitchen commissary and food business incubator created by Two Men and a Garden, is proud to announce a major expansion with the signing of a six-year lease on a 16,000 square-foot facility in Kirkwood, Missouri.
This will be the second location for Kitchen Hub, which currently operates out of a 7,000 square-foot building in High Ridge, MO. “We have over 80 members in our current facility and we are busting at the seams,” says Karen Beckmann, Vice President of Operations. “We currently house 12 separate kitchens and have no more room to grow. Members are from all over the Greater St. Louis area. Adding a central location in a vibrant city like Kirkwood will be a big boost for the membership.”
The new facility will feature more spacious, fully customized private kitchens with unlimited-use options—offering food entrepreneurs the flexibility they need to grow. While Kitchen Hub operates as a shared kitchen commissary, it is much more than that: it's a launchpad for food-focused startups. The Hub supports a dynamic mix of food trucks, caterers, private chefs, small-scale manufacturers, and culinary creatives, combining access to certified kitchen space with hands-on mentorship.
Two Men and a Garden began as a hobby between two gardening-obsessed neighbors and evolved into a nationally distributed pickle and salsa brand, now available in over 2,000 stores and generating more than $1 million in annual sales. “Kirkwood is a perfect town for us to be associated with,” says Joel Austin. “It’s a great reflection of our small town, small batch, diverse family of companies we are partnering with to help them grow and flourish.”
Brett Tintera, Vice President of Sales for Two Men and a Garden, has played a key role in driving sales growth and expanding brand reach. His contributions have helped elevate the company’s retail presence and have supported the strategic expansion of Kitchen Hub’s services and network.
Out of the success of Two Men and a Garden, Austin discovered a deep passion for mentoring others through the complexities of food processing, FDA regulations, food safety, and the practical realities of retail. Kitchen Hub embodies this mission—offering guidance, infrastructure, and opportunity to food entrepreneurs ready to take the next step.
The new Kirkwood facility is owned by Arrow Box Company, a local business and longtime packaging partner for both Two Men and a Garden and many Kitchen Hub members. This collaboration further strengthens the local roots and cooperative spirit at the heart of the Kitchen Hub model. Marc Pauly Account Exec, “We embraced Two Men and a Garden early on when they worked out of a tiny facility – it’s so rewarding to see them growing and teaching others all of the lessons they learned on the journey”
With the Kirkwood expansion, Kitchen Hub continues to prove itself as a cornerstone of the region’s food innovation community.
About Kitchen Hub:
Kitchen Hub is a shared-use kitchen and food business incubator designed to help culinary entrepreneurs launch and grow. It provides access to certified kitchen space, mentorship, warehousing, and a thriving community of creators in the food industry. Vice President of Operations Karen Beckmann is the driving force behind Kitchen Hub’s successful growth, helping to guide day-to-day operations, support members, and scale the program to meet increasing demand.
About Two Men and a Garden:
Founded over 15 years ago by two gardening-obsessed neighbors, Two Men and a Garden has grown from backyard batches to a nationally recognized pickle and salsa brand sold in more than 2,000 stores. Today, the company is led by President Joel Austin and Vice President of Sales Brett Tintera. Karen Beckmann guides the team of 10 employees. The team also powers Kitchen Hub, a fast-growing platform for food entrepreneurs across the region
