What's For Dinner returns
Home cooked meals to-go restaurant What's For Dinner is back in business after taking a break in 2006.
Owner Cindy Brown previously worked as an outreach coordinator at the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District working closely with senior citizens, and then with the Alzheimer's Association.
Her passion for people carries over into What's For Dinner as she spends long hours each day preparing frozen meals for families to carry home and enjoy together. Brown said the cooking part is cool, but the face-to-face interactions and phone calls mean so much more.
"It's fun. People are interesting," she said.
The interaction with her customers on a day-to-day basis restores her faith in humanity, she says.
Customers can come in, choose from her menu and pick their small, medium or large size pan.
"They can come in here and be out of here in three minutes," Brown said.
Her menu varies with her specialty of in-the-freezer frozen casseroles, sweet sensations and appetizers or specialty items.
Casseroles include chicken spectacular, green chili enchiladas, chicken spaghetti, chicken and dressing, chicken, broccoli and rice casserole and the new popular tomato pie. Her tomato pie was posted on social media and next thing she knew it was flying off the shelf.
"Chicken spaghetti is our best seller by far," she said. "It's just a real basic recipe but I can't keep it in the store, I sell a lot of chicken spaghetti."
What's For Dinner's Facebook reviews are compiled of customers bragging on the chicken spaghetti and how convenient the business is for their busy families - especially moms with children in sports. What's For Dinner offers desserts such as lemon bars, hummingbird muffins, pecan pie, sour cream pound cake and chess squares are her best seller.
At home, customers remove the lid and pop the pan in the oven on 350 degrees for the required time on the instructions. No worries if there are leftovers because What's For Dinner meals can be stored in the freezer for a few months.
"I have a good business but if I ever get through to the students it's going to blow up and I know that," Brown said referring to the breakdown of price per serving with casseroles.
Brown offers in-store heating for a small fee if customers would like their dish ready upon arrival. In addition, What's For Dinner caters and offers gift certificates.
Join What's For Dinner for its ribbon cutting ceremony with the Greater Starkville Development Partnership Wednesday, May 22 at 11 a.m. located at 506-1 Academy Road.