Food processors tap into Sykes’ commercial facility in the Flathead Valley of Montana

Sykes’ closed down its meat department about two years ago after finding it difficult to compete with bigger grocery stores, but the space didn’t sit idle for long, Sykes’ General Manager Jayson Peters said.

"We saw a need. People began asking us if they could use the space," he said.

Small-business owners pay a reasonable flat rate per month to rent the commercial kitchen, a nice feature for emerging businesses that don’t want the financial burden of being locked into a long-term lease for a facility, Peters said.

"When it slows down for [a business] in the winter months, they don’t need to be paying rent," Peters said. "I had a gal who started and within two months realized it wasn’t a go.

By LYNNETTE HINTZE Daily Inter Lake