Before founding Eat Clean Phx in 2018, Ryan and Brittany Powell tried various national meal prep services and found the quality to be lacking. Seeing a need, the couple started their own company specializing in organic, restaurant quality, made-from-scratch dishes. And the best part? They deliver within a 100-mile radius of their commercial kitchen in Scottsdale. Here’s what Ryan had to say about his meal prep business.
Who are your customers?
We have such a wide array of customers. When we first started, I was cooking during the day and then delivering. My wife and I would deliver, so we saw all of our customers. We have the stay-at-home moms in Paradise Valley, and then customers out in Waddell where we deliver to trailers. We have college students and we have kids that order for their (elderly) parents because the parents can’t anymore or cook or they’re not eating right, and everything in between.
What kinds of food do you prepare?
People hear meal prep company and they think it’s going to be chicken, rice and broccoli for every single meal. We’re more like restaurant quality, but without all the added stuff that restaurants put in the food to make it taste good, like oil, butter and high sodium (content). Our food is not boring, basic or bland. We also have a la carte options by the pound, so if you really want to keep it simple, you can go that route. I like to make food that people don’t make at home. Some examples from this week’s menu: Grilled Tuscan Flat Iron Steak ($13.49); Green Chili Chicken and Wild Rice ($12.79); and Kale and Quinoa Salad ($10.29).
Do you have meal plans?
I don’t do meal plans or subscriptions because a lot of people have foods they don’t like, so no subscriptions or contracts. You can get as much or as little as you like. That way you’re not wasting your money and we’re not making you unhappy giving you something you don’t want to eat. We post a new menu every Monday.
How do you decide on the menu?
It depends on what’s in season. Everything is fresh. We have items that rotate, like vodka pasta that’s on this week’s menu, which is one of our top sellers. Maybe in a month and a half, we’ll put that one back on. We’re constantly creating new recipes with the end goal of keeping things fresh. When Monday comes around, we want our customers to get excited to pull up the menus on the website and see what we’ve got in store for the week.
Is it cost effective for people to use your meal service?
Let’s say you’re going to get a No. 1 from McDonald’s from Uber Eats or even if you go through the drive through, you’re going to be spending $10 on some very unhealthy food that’s harming your body. For a couple dollars more, you can get food delivered to you and you’re eating healthy, full balanced meals instead of burger, fries and a coke.
How many customers do you serve?
On average, it ranges from 1,200-1,500 customers a week. That’s how many deliveries we do Valleywide. I have 15 employees and 10 delivery drivers and we’re growing like crazy.
