The Tucson food hub is a thriving community that serves as a central location for local food and farming in the region. It features Pivot Produce, HUB Restaurant, and Julie’s Guilt Free Sweet Treats – Sweet and Savory Kitchen. If you’re looking to discover new food and drink options in town, consider stopping by one of these locations.
Pivot Produce
Tucson is growing a food hub and Pivot Produce is a part of it. Founder Erik Stanford set up the company to solve the problem of ordering in small quantities from 30+ local farmers. The business model enables farmers to sell to restaurants and customers in small quantities and reduce waste. Pivot also helps local farms by pooling resources from several farms and connecting them to restaurants.
Pivot Produce is a local produce hub that sources produce from small-scale farms throughout southern Arizona. Pivot also sells to over 25 local restaurants. It is now in its fourth year and has experienced rapid growth. The company is expanding its services and plans to launch a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program by 2020. It is also working on a heritage foods product line in partnership with the Ajo CSA.
Pivot Produce’s goal is to become Tucson’s food hub of the future. It wants to be a one-stop shop for local farmers and a sustainable food supply chain. Local farmers are already getting involved in the new project. Stanford visited one farm, where farmers were pulling their produce, but were unable to sell it because of lack of time or a demand. Those local farmers are pushing the Pivot bubble.
HUB Restaurant
This hipster spot serves New American cuisine and homemade ice cream. The atmosphere is laid-back and the hipster crowd loves to eat and listen to live music. The service is quick and the food is good. But it’s the vibe that’s worth the trip. This is definitely a place to check out if you’re in the Tucson area.
HUB is located in the heart of downtown Tucson. The menu is fun and eclectic. You’ll find decadent mac & cheese, pot pies filled with fresh vegetables, and homemade ice cream. There are dozens of flavors of soft serve ice cream. Families will love this place, too, since it’s family-friendly.
The Hub is located on historic Congress Street in downtown Tucson. It’s right next to the Sunlink streetcar route. This restaurant serves elevated comfort food all year round. It’s owned by Scripps Media, Inc., the same company that owns the Tucson Sun. Besides serving delicious food, HUB has a full bar, outdoor seating, and a patio.
Whether you’re looking for a romantic date spot or a place to host your next big event, HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery has everything you’re looking for. From their cool hostess to their reasonable prices, HUB has something for everyone. The cozy atmosphere and modern decor make this place a perfect place for a wedding or a special night out with friends.
Julie’s Guilt Free Sweet Treats – Sweet and Savory Kitchen
The concept for Julie’s Guilt Free Sweet Treat was born out of a love of ice cream. I was constantly craving ice cream and decided to find guilt-free ways to make it. My first cookbook, Julie’s Guilt Free Sweet Treat, was born out of this need.
Julie’s Guilt Free Sweet Treat – Sweet and Savory Kitchen’s website is accompanied by an app that makes riding the bus and subway simple. Users can see real-time travel times and find the nearest stop or subway station.
Local farms pushing the bubble
Pivot Produce was born out of a parking lot. Chef Erik Stanford, at the time, was working on a local food program at his restaurant, 5 Points Market and Restaurant. He would spend part of his week meeting with local farmers and altering his menu to reflect the crops in season.
A food hub is a place where local food producers come together to sell their goods. These organizations work closely with producers to meet the needs of consumers and balance profitability with a social calling. They also work to improve the community’s well-being. Local food hubs are part of an evolving food movement that seeks to create more locally produced food.
The Food Hub’s team is working hard to meet the growing demand. The team is experiencing record sales weeks, including one in early April, which exceeded any single month in the organization’s history. The Food Connects team has also been busy making improvements to the organization’s internal infrastructure. A new Integrated Pest Management Program has been implemented to ensure the safety of food. They’ve also purchased color-coded transport boxes and warehouse storage shelving to help them better organize their inventory and keep their warehouse clean.
As the number of food hubs increases, so does the interest from restaurants and bulk buyers. Nevertheless, many food hubs are being launched with outside funds, raising the potential for a food hub bubble. While the concept of a food hub bubble has some merit, experts caution that further research is needed to determine whether the hub model is sustainable. They advise operators to try new innovations, such as resource-sharing partnerships.
