Easy Meal Prep Franchises Expanding

Kentucky.com:

The owners of Entrée Vous have found that consumers are paying more than lip service to the meal-assembly industry.

The Lexington-based chain is the fastest-growing easy meal prep franchise in the country.

The chain had nine stores open at the end of last year. It now has 40 open and development agreements with franchisees for 100 more.

‘I think it’s because of our food,’ said majority owner and Chief Executive Officer Harriet Dupree, who started the company 4 years ago out of her catering kitchen on Delaware Avenue.

At Entrée Vous and similar businesses, customers place their orders online, then go to the store to assemble meals made from ingredients that have already been chopped, diced, seared or otherwise pre-prepared. The meals can then be frozen at home and cooked when needed.

Dupree said her company, and others like it, are succeeding because ‘women want to have a hand in making dinner’ but they don’t have the time to come home from work and make a meal from scratch.