Industrial Eats, a community-focused organization affiliated with The Bunker Youth Ministries, announced this week it has suspended its operations due to financial challenges. The initiative, led by President Kevin Hildebrand, was designed to be a “ministry place where kids can be loved and accepted through food service.” However, financial shortfalls and operational challenges have forced the organization to make the difficult decision to pause.
The Industrial Eats Board of Directors issued a statement of gratitude and resilience: “The Industrial Eats Board of Directors would like to express its sincere gratitude to the community for its support and contributions this past year. We don’t take the decision to put this dream on hold lightly. New ventures often come with surprises and unanticipated hurdles. Although the dream of building into the youth of our community in this way has halted for a season, we are actively seeking new avenues to achieve our mission.”
The board also praised Hildebrand’s commitment, saying, “We want to thank Kevin for his hard work and dedication to love marginalized people in our community through all seasons, even the difficult ones. His steadfastness in love is a shining example of what the board strives to be. We stand by Kevin, we trust him, and we look forward to a fresh chapter and a new plan for success.”
"People came on board, and they bought into it," Hildebrand explained. "Yes, there were some great things that happened, like donations of equipment and money. But as we moved forward, hurdles and challenges started popping up. And it's one of those things where they're small. But enough paper cuts really create some pain and cause some damage."
Initially, Industrial Eats channeled all resources into completing its kitchen, with plans to generate revenue through takeout services. "We focused the money and energy on completing the cooking area," Hildebrand said. "The dining room is still unfinished, but we were able to finish the kitchen area. We thought if we could cook, we could start serving food via takeout and bring in revenue that could eventually go toward the dining room." However, after three to four months of takeout service, revenue did not cover the costs.
The decision to suspend takeout operations has impacted both the organization and its staff. "As of Monday morning, me, together with our board, had to make the tough decision to pull the plug on this," said Hildebrand, emphasizing his gratefulness to staff Alycia and Cjay for their time and service building into Industrial Eats. "We now have to sit and reset, reassess, and think about the future. The dream itself is not dead."
Although takeout operations are on hold, Hildebrand emphasized that Industrial Eats is not disappearing from the community. They will continue to serve food at the Meridian Exhibition Centre and explore partnerships with Central Station to host larger events. "We're still going to be trying to do some catering and things like that," he added. "Central Station has a great dining room space, and their support means a lot to us."
This period has been a challenging one for Hildebrand and the board, but they remain committed to their mission of helping youth in the community. "If we have the expectation on kids to be vulnerable, transparent, open, and honest, it starts with us," he reflected. "There are a lot of hurting people in this community. If they see us as someone they can relate to through pain, I'm fine going through it."
Hildebrand expressed a desire for continued community support, especially during this trying time. "We already feel bad enough... if people in the community still have faith in us, that helps build our faith in ourselves," he said. "We’re not ready to just dig our heads in the sand and hide."
As the team at Industrial Eats pauses to reevaluate, Hildebrand remains hopeful that the community will rally around their vision. Though uncertain, he is committed to finding a way forward. "We don’t want to stop," he affirmed, underscoring his belief that Industrial Eats’ mission will one day be realized fully, for the benefit of the community’s youth.
Hildebrand said he is at the Bunker, and willing to answer questions and hear ideas and suggestions for ways to move forward.