Designed Dinners caters to busy Moorpark families
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Two local women have teamed up to open a meal preparation franchise where busy families can prepare healthy gourmet meals with no planning, shopping, prepping or cleanup.

Designed Dinners provides restaurant-quality ingredients to consumers who come into a store to assemble several meals at once and take the food home to enjoy in coming days.

"The concept is still new, so many people don't understand what it is we offer," said Cathy Lasure, a third-grade teacher at Walnut Elementary School. She partnered with Jennifer Cerny, also a Moorpark resident, to open a Designed Dinners store in Moorpark.

Each month franchise founder and chef Bruce Pinkerton creates 18 new entrees for customers, who can order up to 12 ready-to-cook meals from the company's website.

"We offer a wide variety of entrees, from chicken to beef to pork to fish and shrimp to pasta dishes," said Lasure. Side dishes and desserts are also available.

Once they've made their choice online, customers schedule meal preparation sessions at the Designed Dinner store on Los Angeles Avenue, using ingredients that were purchased and prepared by Cerny, who operates the business. Designed Dinners is an alternative to eating out, Cerny said.

"Everything they need to prepare their entrees is available and waiting for them to assemble and take home," Lasure said.

Most consumers freeze the meals and defrost the dinner of their choice in the morning before they go to work. By the time they come home, it's ready to pop into the oven and eat with no preparation and very little cleanup, Lasure said.

"This is a healthy way to provide quick, effortless meals that allow the entire family to sit down to a delicious meal prepared especially for them," said Lasure.

Designed Dinners also assembles and delivers the dinners upon request.

The store is at 252 E. Los Angeles Ave., Ste. E in the new Moorpark Grove Center. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Call (805) 529-7585 or visit www.designeddinners.com for more information.