Portland Mercado and Entrepreneurship

The Mercado + Commercial Kitchen Incubator + Business Advising

The Portland Mercado is more than just Portland’s only Latino Market.

We’re a thriving community of 19 permanent businesses, bringing together diverse cultures through food, art, and entertainment.

We’re a fully licensed, affordable, and accessible incubator commercial kitchen, supporting 60+ food businesses as they craft, create, and sell a wide array of culinary creations across the region.

We’re a diverse team of bi-lingual, bi-cultural business advisors, financial coaches, and marketing professionals, all working together to support new entrepreneurs as they dream, grow, and embark on the journey of starting their business.

Portland Mercado

Portland Mercado is a community of more than 16 permanent businesses in our public market and plaza and many more in our incubator kitchen – bringing together diverse cultures through food, art and entertainment. Learn More

Micro Mercantes

The Micro Mercantes community micro-enterprise program grew out of the needs expressed by Hacienda’s residents. In 2006, a group of 20 or so low-income, Latina women living in Hacienda’s properties approached the organization, interested in selling tamales at the farmers markets to supplement their family incomes. Learn More

Step One: Learn Quickly

What we do

  • Info sessions: learn about us & explore entrepreneurship.
  • Food Business Boot Camp: 2 week course for start-up businesses (English)
  • Seminars: Drop-in learning sessions
  • Get up to 10 free hours of advising

Benefits

  • All resources in only one place
  • A faster way to gather all information
  • English, Spanish and interpretation in other languages
  • You meet experts face to face
  • Pay as you can
  • Avoid costly mistakes
  • Lower rate to rent kitchen

 

Step Two: Launch Successfully

Apply to our program services – then have access to everything you need to get going:

  • Portland Mercado: a market with space to launch your business
  • Capital: get the money necessary to start your business (tandas, IDAs)
  • Advising: one-on-one guidance from experts  as you launch and grow
  • Kitchen: An affordable, community-based space to make your products
  • Sales opportunities: Take advantage of our network to get your product out there
  • Connections to resources and our partners, that vary from graphic design to insurance to legal advice

 

 

 

Any Questions?
Contact Us