Hungry – and healthful – Texans, Chicagoans and Philadelphians have gotten the first tastes of a new fresh-food chain.
Texas-based Snap Kitchen, which is lovingly explained (according to Forbes) by its CEO, David Kirchhoff, as “if Whole Foods and 7-Eleven had a baby, it would be Snap Kitchen,” already has more than 45 locations, with plans to sprout more. The company makes healthy meals from scratch for those who are conscious about what they’re putting in their mouth. From gluten-free to paleo to vegan and other health-forward categories, the food is slated to not only be good for you, but taste good, too.
The concept, however, is focusing on those on the go. The small but modern and clean-lined stores offer breakfasts, lunch and dinners with the calories easily accessible (somewhere between 180 and 500) for prices that are $4 or less for lunch, under $8 for lunch and just below $15 for dinner. Consumers can choose from the chicken/sausage/egg stack with sweet potato fries ($6.49, and 220 calories), a slew of salads and soups for lunch, and chicken chili enchiladas ($7.99, and 430 calories) for dinner, among others. And don’t forget a sweet treat for dessert, like the strawberry cheesecake cup ($3.99, and 300 calories).
Kirchhoff also added, “It’s as if we took a classically trained chef and put them in a cage fight with a nutritionist.”
The foods are prepared in the stores, but what critics are loving about the concept is the creativity and quality behind the food options.
The model also is heavily focused on the mobile experience. Hungry customers can opt to go online, choose what they want and how they want it, and then pick it up in-store later. The company has already worked with Uber to roll out the concept in Chicago and Dallas to keep them on their new year fitness and health kick. Other marketing plans have included working with the Fit Meal Challenge in Houston and new store launches in Dallas.
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Consumers are popping when they want, on the go, but also stocking up for the week so that they can curtail any diet derailment. The food can stay refrigerated for up to seven days. According to Forbes, the average check hovers around $25, with the stores already pulling in more than $1 million each year.
Oh, and that analogy of Whole Foods being one of it’s “parents” is not just a teasing remark: Whole Foods has actually begun to carry some of the meals.
