Hilario Ruiz of El Compa Chales Catering prepares food at the Busy Kitchen.

When Robertson-Price, a family business partnership in Redmond, purchased the commercial building on Glacier Avenue, it was uncertain what the partners would ultimately do with the space. The building was somewhat rundown and in need of a facelift, but it had a large kitchen with lots of potential.

Recognizing the absence of commercial kitchens in Redmond, the partnership decided to focus on the kitchen, and set to work updating and remodeling. They dubbed the space “Busy Chef,” and now rent it out by the hour, day, week, month or however long anyone needs it for.

The property the partnership purchased spans 1-1/2 acres of land at 413 SW Glacier Ave. in Redmond, between 4th and 5th streets just off the 97 Parkway. The site includes the building that houses the kitchen, event rooms, dry and refrigerated storage areas, a historic but rundown house on the property, a parking area and a stretch of little-used roadway.

“We spent a lot of money on the kitchen,” said Dick Robertson, one the business partners. The newly upgraded kitchen includes a commercial stove and grill, two convection ovens, a microwave oven, commercial mixers, prep sinks, a walk-in cooler, refrigerators, storage shelves, an ice machine and large stainless steel, movable work tables.

“We are tapping into demand. It’s definitely out there,” Robertson said. “Anyone who is cooking or catering for the public in an uncertified kitchen is just asking for trouble. We are here to offer opportunity.”

To accommodate those renting the Busy Chef kitchen, the facility is available anytime, day or night. But use of the kitchen does require advance planning due to strict state and local food handling laws, Robertson explained.

“They have to go through the process of licensing and preparation,” he said. “They can’t just come in and cook today.”

The requirements are spelled out clearly on the Busy Chef website, and also in a user handbook that the partners give to anyone wishing to rent the facility.

Because of the strict licensing requirements for all types of commercial food preparation and sales, Robertson said Busy Chef meets all state and county health and safety standards, making it an ideal place for start-up businesses, organizations wishing to sell food or baked goods at festivals or events, caterers who don’t have their own commercial kitchens yet and food truck owners.

“This is a perfect spot for people who want to get into catering but don’t want to invest. They can do it here for $20 an hour,” said Robertson.

The kitchen can also be great for one-time users, he said, adding that one renter came in for part of a day to bake jar pies (individual pies baked in jars) for her daughter’s wedding.

Though the kitchen is being utilized, Robertson said that the event hall space, which holds up to about 120 people, is what has become the most popular part of the facility for renting out. To accommodate various customers’ specific needs, each part of the Busy Chef building is offered for rental separately.

“We’ve had Rotary, baptisms, quinceañeras, meetings, a hula lesson class that meets here Tuesday nights … the Oregon Lavender Association, we even had someone get married here,” he said. Robertson said he hopes to see customers rent out the space for gatherings such as Super Bowl, Oscar Night and big boxing match parties, as well as for use during athletic events such as bicycle races passing through town.

Busy Chef has also provided help during a time of emergency, Robertson said. Loco Place, a Redmond business that sells Mexican food and makes jumbo tamales for events, suffered a kitchen fire, but the owner was able to stay in business by using the Busy Chef kitchen.

“It was very rewarding to take her in and make it so she could continue her business,” said Robertson. “I was thrilled to be able to do that.”

Though the Robertson-Price partnership has renovated the Busy Chef kitchen and is in the process of remodeling the event spaces with the help of an interior designer, Robertson said he has visions for a much larger enterprise.

“We are really just getting started. The outside of the building looks like hell, but that’s part of the appeal,” he said with a laugh. “I want people to see the rustic outside, and then walk in and say ‘Wow.’”

Visions for the future include a renovation of the old house located on the property, which is a Redmond historical home, and designating studio spaces designed for craft businesses and local artisans.

The long-term goal is to create a marketplace with a park-like setting, he said, a destination for families to come to buy local food and art.

He also envisions the addition, someday, of a second-story rooftop bar with views of the mountains.

“We will be a full-blown event venue. We’ve taken this property and made it into something that hopefully the community can be proud of.”

For more information about Busy Chef, call Robertson at 541-408-2742 or email him at dickr@cbbmail.com.

The website can be viewed at busychefkitchen.com.