Dream Dinners

Dream Dinners is a meal preparation company that offers pre-assembled meal kits to customers. Founded in 2002 by Tina Kuna, the company is credited with creating the retail meal prep industry. Dream Dinners operates through a franchise system, with 69 locations across 22 states as of August 2021. The company's core offering consists of ready-made meals that customers can select from a rotating monthly menu. These meals are pre-packaged in bags with clear cooking instructions, typically taking around 30 minutes to prepare. Dream Dinners provides two meal sizes: medium (serving 2-3 people) and large (serving 4-6 people). The company's business model focuses on saving customers time by eliminating meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation. Customers can either pick up their orders at local Dream Dinners kitchens or, in some cases, have them delivered. The meals are frozen, allowing for longer storage compared to fresh meal kit services. In 2021, Dream Dinners shifted its focus to primarily offering pre-made kits for pickup or delivery, as opposed to its previous model where customers could assemble kits themselves in-store. This change was implemented to increase sales efficiency and improve unit profitability.

Key customers and partnerships

Dream Dinners primarily targets busy families, particularly millennial families, as its key customer base. The company reports a monthly customer retention rate of nearly 80%, significantly higher than the industry average. Dream Dinners has expanded its reach by launching an online delivery service called "Dream Dinners Delivered" in 30 states, allowing customers to purchase meal kits even in areas without local kitchens. The company's focus on family-oriented meals and its promise of easy, quick dinner preparation have helped it maintain a loyal customer base among time-strapped parents and caregivers.