Customers make and take their meals

Anthem company offers convenient, healthy food

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Gabi and Tyler Houston's decision to open their Anthem-based business, Meal Makers, was all about convenience.

As parents of two children, Tyler, a former professional baseball player, and Gabi, a certified accountant, liked the idea of a business offering a quick, convenient way to prepare fresh, healthy meals for one day, one week or even longer, all in one quick session.

At Meal Makers, clients call in advance with their menu selections -- Gabi said the company usually needs about 48 hours notice -- then visit the Meal Makers kitchen to prepare their items, which are taken home to be cooked at any time.

The Meal Makers kitchen has several carts, or mini-kitchen stations set up with everything the client will need to prepare a meal. After the clients prepare their meals, they are done in the kitchen. Meal Makers staff does all of the clean-up and preparation before the next client uses the station.

"Each cart is dedicated to a separate meal, and the Meal Makers recipe and all of the ingredients are at the cart," Gabi said. "Everything is there except cold stuff, like meat or cheeses, which are in the refrigerator. The cart has freezer bags to put the meal in and labels for each item, with cooking instructions."

The Meal Makers kitchen refrigerator has shelves for storing completed meals, and clients generally bring coolers to take their food home.

The Houstons said while there are other make-and-take businesses in the valley, Meal Makers' menu options set them apart from competitors.

"Most places like this only have one type of menu," Tyler said. "We have a traditional menu and a light menu that works with several diet plans, including L.A. Weight Loss and others."

Meal Makers also keeps pre-assembled meals in a separate freezer, so clients who don't have time to put together their own meals can pick up food at any time.

The menu items also come in either half- or family size servings.

"We offer different size meals because not every client is the same, and not every family is the same," Gabi said.

The couple started looking into the idea of opening a Meal Makers in August.

"Someone came to me with the opportunity, so I thought about it and then went to St. Louis, where the company is based," Gabi said. "I decided the market was here, and I believed (Meal Makers) was a good concept."

The couple opened the doors to their Anthem-area location, 10895 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 160, in early February. They plan to expand and open another location.

Gabi said Meal Makers also will host private parties for groups of 10 or more. Once a party has been scheduled, Meal Makers will create a password-protected registration form on its Web site, and participants can RSVP and select menu items online.

Meal Makers carries choices from three menus -- the Classic Menu, Regular Menu and Lite Menu -- and selections change monthly.

Offerings during the month of May include: the Classic Menu's Classic Beef Kabobs and Thai Peanut Sauce, Classic Kielbasa with Red Beans and Rice and Classic Vegetable Quiche; the Regular Menu's almond chicken, spicy BBQ Shrimp Skewers and Apple Enchilada Dessert; and the Lite Menu's Creole chicken and vegetables, orange pepper steak and Snickers Dessert.

Gabi said while private parties often last up to three hours, individual customers go at their own pace and can make as many as 12 meals in an hour during a regular session.

"We're in the business of saving marriages," Tyler said. "If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, if there's food in the fridge, he's happy."

Amy White, a regular Meal Makers customer, said she enjoys Meal Makers because it's convenient and makes meal preparation fun.

"I'm busy with my kids and working, and this way you just take a meal out of the fridge and it's good and everything is fresh," White said. "It can be a night out with the girls, and they have a huge variety. They even give you serving suggestions. I just come home, and it's all ready to go."

The couple donates a portion of Meal Makers' proceeds to Vanderburg Elementary School.

Meal Makers offers morning and evening sessions throughout the week. Prices vary by menu item and serving size.

For more information, visit www.mealmakers.net.