WHAT IS MAKE AND TAKE?

Make and Take is a growing trend in meal preparation from coast to coast.

Here's how it works: A store provides recipes, kitchen space and all the ingredients necessary to create the meals. Customers come to the store to assemble the meals for cooking later at home. Most call the concept make-and-take meals, but it is also called Freezer-ready meals (since the meals are frozen after preparation) or ready-to-cook meals. By whatever name, the concept that seems to have gotten its start in Washington state has caught on across the country.

Most customers come by themsleves, but many stores are seeing groups sign up together, and some stores offer customers the option to reserve the whole kitchen if they sign up enough of their friends. For many (mostly women), the service offers a way for them connect socially while they perpare their meals.

Services offer anywhere from just a few meals to as many as a dozen or more for preparation in one to two hours. And some locations offer a pick-up option (where they assemble your meals for you) for an additional cost.

If you are interested in learning more about services near you, search for Make and Take providers in your area with our search function.