Teaching kitchen coming to downtown Yuma

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Local non-profit, Bordertown Arts Project is opening a community teaching kitchen in the heart of downtown.

The Alice and John Baca teaching kitchen is a space for young locals to learn how to work in the food industry.

These 12 to 18 years olds will learn kitchen safety, food safety and prep kitchen basics.

They will also learn about the ins and outs of serving and “front of house” operations.

Samuel Guerrero, the founder and creator of the project, says this kitchen will not only teach a lifeskill, but help our youth get involved in the yuma community.

“It’s looking for people who want to find a way to express themselves through cooking, but who also want to engage with the community. Along the way they’ll learn a lifeskill that can be used in their own homes and in various career paths,” said Guerrero.

Each month, they will learn from a specific chef how to prep for a dish served in Downtown Yuma’s First Friday Fundraisers.

Guerrero started the project last October, during the COVID pandemic.

“The first challenge was finding a location. We ended up finding our that we had an amazing partner in cafecito coffee company and their new location was so fortuitous, it’s down in the heart of yuma,” explained Guerrero.

 Due to supply chain issues, the opening date had been delayed over a year.

As a non-profit organization, they have quite a few donors who support them financially.

“One of the biggest supporters has been Arizona complete health. We ended up winning a 100,000 dollar grant from them last year and it was really exciting to know that there’s a n organization that really believes in the social health of our community," said Guerrero.

The final inspection is scheduled to happen within the next few months, with the opening soon after.