ROME, GA. — Southeastern Mills has opened a new culinary innovation center in Rome, Ga. The 5,500-square-foot center features laboratory, culinary, sensory, pilot and ideation areas for new product and menu innovation, the company said.

“We wanted to create a space that builds collaboration with our customers,” said Jennifer Moore, director of research and development for Southeastern Mills. “We’re excited to work though solutions on the bench to see how products can be brought to life, whether it’s an industrial product, a new menu item for a restaurant chain or a product for a consumer to use at home.”

The new space features an open commercial kitchen for professional filming, a dedicated sensory workspace for customized product showing and analytical equipment for product testing.

Southeastern Mills, which specializes in biscuits, gravy and concentrated food bases, said its culinary innovation center will host executive leaders in culinary and R.&D. from national and regional restaurant accounts, industrial ingredient industry leaders and buyers and brokers from top grocery retailers.