If you’ve ever felt stressed about what to serve for family dinner when you’re at the end of a long day (or the end of your rope!) Kitchenette has you covered. Founder Sophie McNally is a veteran of the NYC restaurant scene and former CEO of some of the city’s top spots, including Balthazar, Pastis, and Minetta Tavern. But when it came to a crowd-pleasing solution for busy evenings for her family of four, the SB local couldn’t find what she was looking for, so she created it. Kitchenette offers the ultimate family-style meals that have it all: delicious and healthy food cooked by a team of chefs and blast-frozen at peak freshness so all you have to do is remove them from your freezer, turn on your oven, and get ready to have a no-brainer dinner that you and your family will love!
We sat down with Sophie to tell us a bit more about how she solved dinner dilemmas for busy parents and picky eaters and what she’s planning next for this exciting SB company.
Sophie, can you tell us about the problem Kitchenette is solving?
Busy families, particularly moms, often struggle to find time to cook healthy meals from scratch. Kitchenette offers a solution by providing delicious and nutritious frozen meals made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. We want to be the go-to option on nights when cooking isn’t feasible.
That sounds amazing. Where can people get it? How does the prep/cooking work?
The whole idea is that there is zero prep, zero planning, and zero cleanup. Each dish comes with heating instructions and can go straight from freezer to oven to table.
Right now we’re delivering in Santa Barbara, but we plan on expanding to Carp and Ventura. Anyone living between Summerland and Goleta can have Kitchenette delivered straight to their door any Wednesday or Sunday by ordering through our website. No subscriptions required. Scroll down for a Siteline free delivery code!
What sets Kitchenette apart from other options?
Two things. Number one is freshness and quality, which gives us an edge over the takeout and meal kits that many families resort to on nights they can’t cook from scratch. In both cases, food is sitting in transit and then in the refrigerator for days. With Kitchenette, you’re getting a meal that’s been frozen at its freshest point and stays that way until you’re ready to enjoy it. As someone who hates food waste, the added benefit is that I don’t have to worry about it going bad in my fridge if plans change.
Second, our meals are communal. This was really important to me. I’m a strong believer in the power of family meals, where everyone is eating together, sharing the same foods, and connecting around the table. And I know a lot of parents feel like they have to be short-order cooks to satisfy everyone in their family, so we went above and beyond to make crowd-pleasing meals that the whole table, including your pickiest eaters, will love and want seconds of!
Can you tell us about Kitchenette’s philosophy around food, both from a nutrition and sourcing perspective?
Of course. From a nutritional perspective, our goal is to create meals that are not only delicious but also wholesome and balanced. We try to ensure each of our meals has a good mix of macronutrients—proteins, fats, and starches—as well as essential vitamins and minerals. And, most importantly, they taste delicious so you can rest assured that your family will actually eat the healthful food you’re putting on their plates.
We believe in food that’s as close to its natural state as possible, which is why we limit refined sugars, never use seed oils, and never use preservatives.
When it comes to sourcing, Kitchenette places a high priority on the quality and integrity of our ingredients. We shop from local farmers and opt for organic whenever possible, and strategically.
As for sustainability, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information that needs to be taken into account to come up with a clear understanding of our impact and how we could continuously do better. So we partnered with an amazing company called Planet FWD to help us understand where our emissions come from and how we can improve over time. I’m excited to share what we’re learning very soon! Readers can follow us on Instagram @getkitchenette to hear more.
Finally, what’s next for Kitchenette?
In the short term, we’re expanding our menu to include more seasonal dishes and to incorporate customer feedback. For example, we’ve heard a lot of people would love Kitchenette for 1-2 people, not just families. We’re also exploring partnerships with local farmers and ranchers, which I’m particularly excited about.
In the long run, we want to make the freezer every busy household’s greatest ally. A well-stocked freezer can free up so much time and provide the ultimate freshness and flavor, and we can’t wait to bring even more innovative and delicious food to your freezer door!
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Sponsored by Kitchenette.
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