Home Chef

Home Chef

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Meal kit and food delivery
Founded	June 2013 (2013-06)
Founder	Patrick Vihtelic
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	Contiguous United States
Key people	Patrick Vihtelic (CEO)
Products	Meal kits, food delivery service
Parent	Kroger

Home Chef is a meal kit and food delivery business headquartered in Chicago that supplies U.S. customers with weekly shipments of pre-measured ingredients and recipe instructions. The company fulfills close to three million meals each month.

On May 24, 2018, Kroger revealed its plan to acquire Home Chef for $200 million, with the possibility of an additional $500 million contingent on meeting certain performance goals. The transaction was finalized in June 2018, and later that year, Home Chef meal kits became available in Kroger retail locations.

Overview

Home Chef operates as a meal delivery provider distributing boxes containing fresh, pre-portioned ingredients ready for cooking. With fulfillment centers located in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Lithonia, Georgia, the service covers all states in the contiguous U.S. Each package features recyclable materials, precisely measured components, and detailed cooking directions. The menu rotates weekly offering up to 15 dinner selections, as well as options for breakfast, lunch, smoothies, and fruit baskets.

History

Patrick Vihtelic founded Home Chef and serves as its CEO since its inception in June 2013. In September 2016, the company obtained $40 million in investment from L Catterton, a private equity firm focused on consumer brands. By late 2017, Home Chef expanded its distribution by partnering with Walmart alongside sales through its own website.

By the close of 2018, Home Chef meal kits were stocked in select Kroger and Walgreens stores. Early in 2019, the company rolled out a customization option on its website, allowing customers to swap or upgrade protein choices.

In August 2019, Home Chef introduced Fresh and Easy—a supplementary meal kit and delivery service designed for consumers seeking convenient meal solutions.

Further reading

• "Home Chef delivers meal kits to those who love to cook, hate to shop". Chicago Tribune.
• "Homemade goodness: Home Chef delivers recipes, ingredients to your doorstep". The Times of Northwest Indiana.
• "Are meal-kit delivery services worth the cost? We tried seven". St. Paul Pioneer Press.