Tools for busy families www.mealplanner.net
|
Frequently Asked Questions
“It’s worth every penny. At
first when we first started
talking about this, we were
a little apprehensive about
the cost. We didn’t know if
its going to be worth the
money. We came in, we did
it, it was so simple, so easy
and just delicious –
fabulous. When my next
opportunity came, my
husband said ‘You need to
go, do it, re-stock our
freezer.’ It’s just worth every
penny."
What impact has this had
on your life?
"I don’t want to come home
and be standing in the
kitchen for an hour and a
half cooking… ...We do sit
down together as a family
every night, which I think is
very important."
“With my husband and I
both being accountants, it
didn’t take long to sell him
on the idea! We have really
seen our costs go down at
the grocery store…. I’m not
making as many trips to the
grocery store… You can’t
afford not to use The Studio
Kitchen if you want good
quality meats.
"My husband wants to
know now: ‘Is this a Studio
Kitchen meal or are you
cooking!?' :-)
We save a lot of money by
not eating out as much. We
used to eat out three,
maybe four nights a week
and maybe once or twice on
the weekend. And that’s
EXPENSIVE, even if you are
splitting an entree.”
How does it work?
Laura Bezden (owner)
describes the process,
showing both our
customers and our chefs do
their part. “It’s no hassle for
our clients. There’s no
clean up. It answers that
age old question – 'What’s
for Dinner?'”
What about sticker shock
when you first heard the
price? “Initially, I didn’t think
I would spend that much at
the grocery store, but my
husband (Mr Math Guy)
figured it out and realized
this is a lot cheaper than the
grocery store. A lot cheaper
than the grocery store…”
Q. What days and hours are you open?
A. Please click here for our hours of operation.
Q. Where are you located?
A. The address is: 2111 Sam Bass Road, Round Rock, TX 78681
Google Maps link
Q. Do you offer a franchise program?
A. We offer a consulting package that helps other people to open the same business.
It is very cost effective and comprehensive. If you would like more information, please
e-mail us. Click here to send us an e-mail request.
Q. Do you give out recipes?
A. We review virtually hundreds of recipes and test at least four recipes for every one
that makes it to our menu. This process is a full time job and we have a separate kitchen
fully dedicated to this activity. Recipes are one of our most important intellectual
properties. Just like a trade mark, patent, business formula or trading policy, it is
something that remains guarded and protected. As such, we regret that we cannot give
out our recipes.
Q. When do your menus change?
A. Menus change monthly based on the calendar month. For example, the "March" menu
will run from March 1 - 31 and the "April" menu from April 1 - 30.
Q. I have a friend who wants to share it with me. Do we need to bring our own
containers. If not, is there an extra charge for smaller containers?
A. You can share with a friend. The cost is split between you. Both of you will work at the
same table. We provide the smaller containers and there is no extra charge. The same
applies when we assemble it for you. No extra charge for splitting into two, 3 portion
containers.
Q. Do we need to book for one or two people if we plan to split?
A. Just book for one person if you plan to split your entrees with a friend. Bring two
coolers along. The payment can be split when you arrive.
Q. How much freezer space does it take?
A. Two shelves of a side by side freezer section or the full section of a top side freezer.
Splitting the entrees into two, 3 portion containers works better if space is at a premium
because you can put the smaller containers into nooks.
Q. My husband does not like mushrooms / olives / cheese etc. Can those
be left out?
A. For some entrees those ingredients are kept in a separate container and you have an
option to leave them out when you assemble the entrée. Items like onions and garlic are
often already in the mix. If you are feeding the “super fussy” then this may not be for
them.
Q. Do you offer any special menus like Low Carb menus or vegetarian dishes.
A. No, not at this stage. Some dishes qualify but we don’t have it as a package.
Q. Will the menu change periodically and if so when?
A. Yes, the menu changes monthly.
Q. When will the new menu appear on the website?
A. We publish the new menu during the last week of the previous month.
Q. Does my credit card get charged when I register?
A. No, only on the day you attend or collect.
Q. Do you offer gift certificates?
A. Yes!. Give us a call on 244-6496 or send an e-mail and we will set that up for you.
Q. Do I need to make a reservation for assembled meals or can I just pick it up?
A. You need to make a reservation. We prepare based on orders.
Q. Can I bring my child with me?
A. Yes! Children are welcome providing they assist in assembly with you. They love it.
Q. Can we bring our own wine?
A. Yes. We do have glasses. We also offer complimentary wine or water, but you may
prefer to bring your own.
Q. Do you offer the caloric count or fat content on menu items?
A. Yes, we offer full nutritional information.
Q. Do you offer an interpreter for deaf people?
A. No, we don’t have it as a standard service although it could certainly be arranged.
Keep in mind however that you will follow very simple written instructions and our friendly
staff will most likely anticipate and understand any other needs you may have.
Q. If I want to return my delivery coolers, can you pick them up?
A. We exchange coolers when we do a new delivery only. If you choose to return them,
the original fee charged will be refunded, providing they were charged on your last
invoice.
Q. Can I keep my coolers if I don’t want to bring them back?
A. Yes, you are more than welcome to keep the coolers. On a subsequent delivery a new
cooler fee will be charged if you don’t have any to return.
Q. Do I need to throw away the gel packs inside?
No, please keep them. These food safe gel packs are filled with water and can be re-
used. We like to reuse the ones that are in good condition.
Q. Do you do cooking lessons?
A. No, but anyone who wants to come help our prep chefs for free is welcome!
Q. Can you rent out your kitchen for cooking classes or other commercial
cooking?
A. We don’t offer this service. We recommend www.thekitchenspace.com Their prices are
very reasonable.
Q. If I am doing a pick-up or delivery and there is an entrée that has an
ingredient in it that I don’t like, can I ask for it to be left out?
A. No, because our chef prepares in larger quantities, we cannot accommodate special
orders for pick up and delivery. But, if you come in and self-assemble you will more than
likely be able to leave out an item you do not want in your entrée (i.e. Leaving out the
mushrooms in the Pesto Lasagna)
Q. Can I order self assembly entrees in three servings per entrée?
A. No, those are always supplied in six servings. You can however split them into two 3
serving containers when you assemble them. (There is a long technical reason why we
can do it differently that is not practical to explain here.)
Q. How do entrees in a pick up or delivery come packaged?
A. If it is a bagged item, you will receive 2-gallon zip lock bags with 3 servings in each. If
the item is in a tin, you will receive 2 3-serving containers of food.
Q. How much is a serving?
A. A serving is the size of a chicken breast, pork chop, or a fish fillets that you would get
at the grocery store. We follow recommend serving sizes similar to regular recipe books.
We are known for having very generous serving sizes. For example, our three serving
size of Lasagna, can easily serve four. If you want smaller servings (for dieting
purposes) you can easily half the portion size after cooking. In this case your calories will
be halved also.
Q. Do I need a health certification or food handler’s card?
A. No. Our chefs require them however, because they handle your food. But our self
assembly kitchen is set up so that only you will touch your food. We do not use a “salad
bar” arrangement where other customers can touch your food. (Like our competitors do.)
Q. Do I need to bring in a cooler when I self assemble?
A. Yes, it is recommended. We will provide you with fridge space to store your assembled
entrees while you make them. When you leave, it is best to put your food into a cooler.
We will provide ice if needed.
Q. Do I need to bring in ice when I do self assembly?
A. No, we provide ice.
Q. I want to buy one entrée from you.
A. Our smallest sampler package goes for $99 for a selection of multiple entrees. Please
keep in mind, our business model is based on volume sales. If you buy a single entrée
from say, Whole Foods, you may pay as much as $7-$9 per serving. Our lowest cost per
serving is less than $4 because we sell in volume.
Q. Can I pick more than 6 or 12 entrees?
A. Absolutely yes! The extra entrees are charged for on a per entrée rate, based on the
lowest, fully discounted rate, for the package you choose.
Q. Do I need to bring in a cooler when I pick up an order?
A. When you pick up pre-assembled entrees they are frozen and provided in a paper
sack. Unless you have a long trip home, a cooler is not essential.
Q. I don’t like an entrée that I ordered and I have extras, can I return it or get my
money back?
A. Based on many years of receiving surveys, we know that not everyone likes entrees
the same way. We may get 100 votes on an entrée with 97people voting it a “5” and 3
people may voting it a “2”. So we differentiate between “I did not like it” and “there seems
to something wrong with an entrée”. For example, we had a case once where we used a
different brand of black olives on a small batch of entrees. It turned out that there was a
lot of salt in these olives and the entrée ended up way too salty. We replaced or
refunded them – based on what customers preferred. We want to make sure you enjoy
our food and return for more. If you are not happy with something, please e-mail us with
a brief description of what happened and we will do what’s right. As for returning entrees,
we can never take anything back that leaves the premises (it would violate health codes),
so we either replace or refund as the case may be.
Q. Can I bring my kids with me?
Absolutely! Kids love The Studio Kitchen and really enjoy assembling the food. We have
a computer that older kids can use and we also provide coloring books and crayons.
Plus they can have a slice of our chocolate ganache cake!
Q. Do you have a gluten free menu?
A. We do have several gluten free choices each month. Take a look at the nutritional
information where this is indicated.
Q. What about food allergies such a peanuts, eggs and so on?
A. As we run a commercial kitchen that carries many ingredients, we cannot empathically
state that we “are peanut free” for example, because there is always the small chance
that an item could end up in an entrée. Also, our menu descriptions should not be looked
at as a definitive ingredient list. If you have questions, please call and speak to our host
who can guide you away from entrees with ingredients you have to avoid. Just
understand that this is not a 100% guarantee.
Q. Do you have organic entrees?
A. We wish! We really do. Actually we are working on this, but there are challenges both
in costs and supply to overcome. Look out for some entrees with an organic option in the
future.
Q. Do you have vegetarian options?
A. Each month is different, some months may have several vegetarian options and some
months might have just one. We don’t carry enough to promote ourselves as a complete
solution to vegetarians, but we may be able to supply something that will work for
company that prefers this.
.
Customer Success Story about
losing weight
Studio Kitchen has played a huge part in our
successful weight loss. We eat a serving for
dinner every night, and we look and feel better.
My husband has lost over 20 pounds since...
Read full story>>>
Customer Success Story about
eating healthier
I've been doing this about 2 years now, and
realized immediately that I'd lost my cravings for
junk food--I think my nutritional needs were finally
being met. The other huge thing is the $$ savings.
I literally don't go to supermarkets any more. Main
food is from Studio Kitchen, the rest...
Read full story>>>
Customer Success Story about no
longer needing cholesterol medication.
The biggest impact is on our health. [My husband]
no longer needs his cholesterol meds, my jeans
are down to a size 10, daughter reports she has
more energy and her jeans are fitting better.
Read full story>>>