CHESHIRE — For almost a year, Perfectly Prepared has been serving up fresh, pre-packaged meals for people on the go, or those just looking for an alternative to cooking.
Riverhouse Hospitality opened Perfectly Prepared, Gourmet to Go – its first storefront – last October, at its catering office on Highland Avenue.
The meals are designed to give people a good, healthy meal with the convenience of a fast-food restaurant. Co-owner Kim Poole said they can also be convenient for busy parents or caretakers.
“It's not just for your family dinner,” Poole said, noting the portioned meals can be great to bring to friends and family who are sick, recently gave birth, or lost a loved one.
The store puts out a variety of freshly-cooked meals, including chicken parmesan with pasta, mac and cheese, General Tso chicken, and chicken tikka masala. Most meals come with a protein, starch and vegetable.
Meriden resident Beth Dunn said she goes to the store at least two or three times a month, often more when her son starts baseball practice.
“I’m a mom and it was easy to get those meals during sports nights … easy to warm up and serve after a game,” she said. The two usually go for the mac and cheese, beef ribs or chicken cordon bleu.
Dunn said she loves that Perfectly Prepared offers samples in-store so you know exactly what you’re getting. She said the portion sizes are usually large enough to have some leftovers for the next day, yet not too big.
“Everyone’s super friendly when you come into the store – and helpful,” Dunn said.
Co-owner Trevor Furrer said offering the convenience of good food is exactly their goal.
“We really want you to be able to come into the store and have a delicious meal, at a good price and have the convenience of having it in your own oven at home,” Furrer said.
He said they offer hands-on customization for a whole family at an affordable price. A family wanting to buy take-out one night doesn’t have to decide on a certain type of food, they can all mix and match what they prefer, he said.
Starting this week Perfectly Prepared will return to being open seven days a week. The store is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any leftovers at the end of the day are donated to Bread of Life in Southington.
Riverhouse Hospitality also runs The Society Room in Hartford, the Riverhouse in Haddam, and recently opened a Perfectly Prepared, Gourmet to Go cafe at the corporate officers of Pond View in Farmington. Co-owners include Kim and Mark Poole, Trevor and Maya Ferror and Jim and Paula Bucko.
bwright@record-journal.com
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Twitter: @baileyfaywright