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

Empresarios

The Empresarios 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: 3 week course for start-up businesses (English and Spanish)
Seminars: Drop-in learning sessions

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