Celebrating the Grand Opening of the New Bedford Central Kitchen
- agoodwin06
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 5
New Bedford’s Central Kitchen is officially open! In July 2025, the H&A team proudly joined City of New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, School Superintendent Andrew O'Leary, NBPS Committee Chair Bruce Oliviera, and many other key members of the vast team that helped to realize this important project.
Long in the works at H&A's design studio, the new facility will serve as the culinary epicenter of all of New Bedford's public schools, as well as child-centered non-profits, parochial schools, and other local organizations — prepping and cooking for 49 locations — and providing nearly two million lunches to local children. The new project is a shared point of pride for all who were a part of realizing this state-of-the-art facility.
Originally built in the 1930s as a car dealership, the building was gutted and entirely repurposed for its laudable new mission. Extensive renovation was necessary to accommodate the large-scale food preparation, storage, and logistics of the new use. The facility is appointed with state-of-the-art equipment and technology for utmost efficiency, and is already serving as a model for comparable projects around the region and beyond.
“This is my Disney World!” said Kitchen Manager Armando Diaz, with a gleaming smile rivaled only by the expansive display of new equipment in the many back-of-house spaces. The capacity and functionality of the new facility are a dramatic improvement compared to the previous location, which was ill-adapted for the needs of the local community – and to the dedicated Food Services Team who celebrated the grand opening.
The project is a success story not only in terms of design and construction, but one of perseverance by local advocates in New Bedford. Creative and determined methods secured necessary financing for the project, resulting in no cost to the City, thanks to the school district’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture; equipment needed to outfit the new kitchen was covered by USDA reserve funds.
The current New Bedford Food Services team is continuing to apply for grants that would allow farm-to-table options and provide even more fresh, healthy dishes to the community of the famed Whaling City.
The project, located on a 1.3-acre parcel at 453 North Street, includes a light-filled café — The Whaler Café, fittingly — which will be open to the public, and generous back-of-house preparation, freezing and refrigeration areas, storage, and delivery spaces.
The project team included Habeeb & Associates Architects as Designer and Architect; Tower Construction as General Contractor; GGD Consulting Engineers as MEP/FP Engineer; Crabtree McGrath as Food Service Consultant; and Architectural Consulting Group, Inc., the Owner’s Project Manager.