SOUTH PORTLAND — A local culinary business incubator is filing for bankruptcy in an effort organizers said will allow it to restructure its debt and remain viable in the future.

Fork Food Lab on Darling Avenue announced Tuesday that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief. 

“It has been a challenging few months at Fork Food Lab, with uncertainty for members and our larger Fork community,” said Corinne Tompkins, Fork Food Lab’s interim executive director. “We’re eager to move through this next phase to put us on the path to sustainability so we can continue to serve members long into the future. Most importantly, it will be business-as-usual for members during and after this process completes.”

The nonprofit started in Portland as a location where small businesses, such as catering companies and bakeries, could rent out professional-grade equipment and operating space to prepare food for sale.  

The nonprofit made headlines in November 2021 when it expanded with a move to its current location in South Portland. Toward the end of 2025, Fork Food Lab was on the brink of closing its doors when a group of investors took over in January 2026, rescuing it from foreclosure.

“Over the last few years, Fork Food Lab had accumulated a significant level of debt, which threatened Fork’s ability to stay operational,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “Taking the next step of filing for bankruptcy allows Fork Lab to restructure this debt to make Fork viable.” 

The statement assured its members that nothing would change in the short term and that the nonprofit would continue to work with the court and investors to restructure its debts.

The nonprofit’s organizers indicated they expect the nonprofit to emerge from bankruptcy and continue operations as usual.