Fresh Prep Kitchens Delivers Dinner to You

Fresh Prep Kitchens owner Jody Lombardo says that entrepreneurship runs in her family. When her mom, Judy Lerg learned of a small start-up in Washington State called Dream Dinners, she convinced Jody that it was time to do something fun and cutting edge here locally.

The mother and daughter team quickly devoured the information and in 2005 they were the first in California to launch such a concept. Putting their life savings into a beautiful facility in the Sash Mill, family recipes were adapted and the downtown kitchen became an enterprise ahead of its time in Santa Cruz County.

Today, Fresh Prep Kitchens chef and sole owner Jody Lombardo is delighted with her new location, opening late last year in the Capitola King's Plaza Shopping Center near and .

Before opening Fresh Prep Kitchens, Lombardo worked for 17 years at Raytek Corporation.

“That company taught me everything about how business works,” she said.

Taking over operations of Fresh Prep, Lombardo acted as creative director and Lerg became CFO and administrative guru.

The original concept has evolved with the times. Customers now order and pay online. Dinners range from $14.95 to $19.95, including a side dish plus choice of vegetable or salad mix. In the beginning, customers had the option to visit the kitchen and assemble their own meals to cook or freeze. This nationwide trend died out in 2010, and today all meals are pre-packaged and ready-to-go at no extra cost.

It’s also possible to walk-in to purchase a variety of fresh dinners Monday - Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Meal selections are priced and packaged for two in freezer bags or aluminum pans with cooking directions. And according to Lombardo, meals like soup and chili are well worth their prices.

“When making these dishes, you’re going to want to make a pot,” she said.

Low-sodium, gluten-free and low- or no-carb meals are offered, with vegetarian and organic meals clearly marked on the menu. Nutritional data has been updated.

New since February is the option to order organic beef and chicken versions of some of the dinners at a moderate extra charge. The company adds only their wholesale cost.

In-season produce is lower in cost and organic produce is ordered daily whenever available from small area farms through Watsonville Coast Produce.

Santa Cruz county is well-known as a health-conscious area with its
proximity to organic farms and opportunities to visit farmers markets. There’s no question as to their popularity and availability. But with our busy schedules, how do we find time to properly store and prepare these items?

That’s where Fresh Prep Kitchens comes into the picture. Lombardo works about 70 hours a week to provide this worthwhile service to the public. She knows her clients so well that she makes special accommodations for their tastes. When delivering dinners to elderly clients she sometimes can’t stop herself from making the dinner for them.

Residents of Capitola, Aptos and Scotts Valley have the option of free delivery three days a week or pick up in Capitola. See the online calendar for delivery times to Le Chef in Aptos or Mint in Scotts Valley.

Thus far, Fresh Prep customers seem thrilled with the service.

“As a busy, working mom, I had been beating myself up about dinners - I just had time to do simple things," said Tiffany Gallup of Los Gatos, who has her meals delivered to Mint in Scotts Valley. "Fresh Prep Kitchen meals are great quality and with sides it is a very nutritious and easy dinner. My only complaint is that they are so good my husband knows I didn't make them."

Fresh Prep Kitchens is located at 1601 41st Ave., Capitola. They can be reached at 831-429-1390.

Have you ever ordered food from Fresh Prep Kitchens? What did you think? Tell us in the comments!