Newtown Business Spotlight: A la Maison Personal Chef Service

Today's local business spotlight is A la Maison Personal Chef Service:

Business: A la Maison Personal Chef Service
Address: P.O. Box 314, Newtown, PA 
Phone number: 215-919-9865
Email: Chefmelissaw@gmail.com
Website: http://alamaisonchef.com
Submitted by: Melissa Wieczorek, Co-Owner and Chef

When did your business get started? 
After an 11-year corporate career in management and marketing, I was ready for a change and wanted to start my own business. I had always loved to cook and was a weekend gourmet. Friends encouraged me to open a restaurant. But that was out of the question because I also wanted something that would allow me to spend more time with my family. I discovered the personal chef industry while in my MBA program, wrote the business plan and presented it at a venture capital fair as part of a school project.

In December of 2005 I left my job and by January had a solid book of clients. Initially, I cooked in my clients' homes but then converted the business model to a prepared meal delivery service cooking from a commercial kitchen. A couple of years later I met Theo Petron, a former advertising exec who was operating a similar service in Minnesota. He relocated here and we formed a partnership to expand the business further including the addition of a cafe in The Solebury Club, a health club and spa in Buckingham.

Why did you choose Newtown to open your business?  
I live here and my son is in school here.

What is your business best known for?
Helping busy individuals, couples and families solve the "What's for Dinner?" with healthy, portion controlled meals. Not diet food. Just good food!

What's something interesting about your business your customers might not know?
That it's more affordable than you might think! You don't have to be rich to use a personal chef service. We have a wide range of customers ranging from single working professionals to empty nesters and offer a variety of meal options to fit your budget.

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