Personalized meals fully prepared, packaged and delivered to you.
Complete your service with…
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Most personal chef companies require you to submit an inquiry form, hold an intake call and then go back-and-forth over emails to arrive at a menu and collect payment.
When you book a custom meal prep service with Happy Cooking, you’ll finalize your self-serve booking within ~10 minutes.
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We keep costs affordable by charging by the day, working with you on the right number of meals and add-ons for your needs and not requiring a retainer fee. You pay for the service that best fits your needs while getting the benefits of a private chef-style, fully custom experience.
Our standard rate of $555 + groceries includes 4 meals for a family of four OR 5 meals for a family of two.
For additional services- such as breakfasts, desserts or dinner service- we charge by the hour.
When finalizing your invoice, we’re upfront about any additional costs (such as for premium ingredients or add-on services) so there aren’t any surprises.
Want to book for more than one day? Email us at hello@happycookingatx.com.
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We use the freshest ingredients from the grocery store of your choice. We’re well-versed in seasonality and food chain processes to ensure you get the best foods to meet your goals.
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Your service cost includes delivery. You’ll choose your specific delivery time upon booking. We’ll package meals in disposable aluminum containers to keep your food fresh and make it easy to put the food in the oven for reheating.
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We reserve a small number of booking slots for our custom meal prep service each week. This allows us to focus on each individual client’s needs and build a connection.
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When you book your service, you’ll complete a quick form to tell us more about:
your dietary preference and restrictions
any foods you’re craving or love
your desired # of meals and servings
your preferred grocery store
add-ons you’d like (breakfasts, snacks, dinners, in-home cooking)
and more!
The booking process is also where you’ll pay the $555 custom meal prep fee with the option to tip.
Note: We ask for at least 1 week of lead time to allow enough time for menu ideation/selection, grocery shopping and prep.
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The fun part! We’ll send you fully custom menu options via email based on your booking form information within 48 hours of your booking submission. You’ll then provide your feedback and make your selections via email.
Plan to finalize your meals at least 3-5 days prior to your service to allow for enough time for shopping and prepping.
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We will purchase ingredients and send you a copy of the receipt for reimbursement after our chef has shopped for your service. For more regularly recurring custom meal prep services, we recommend sharing with us an online account login for your preferred grocery store with your credit card saved. This adds transparency and efficiency to the grocery shopping and reimbursement process.
Based on your menu, we’ll pick up the required groceries ~72 hours before your delivery day.
The estimated grocery cost for 4 meals for is ~$100 for a family of 4 or ~$85 for a couple. The cost will fluctuate depending on premium ingredients or additional services.
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If you’ve added on additional services, live more than 15 miles from our East Austin Kitchen and/or select premium ingredients, we’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance at least 5 days before your service. Please pay the invoice at least 3 days prior to your service to keep your booking.
We’ll be transparent with you on pricing throughout the process.
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If you choose delivery, we’ll deliver your fully cooked meals on your scheduled delivery date and time. You’ll receive your personalized quick, easy reheating instructions via email on your delivery day.
*Note: We charge +$2/mile after the first 15 miles from our East Austin kitchen in 78721.
If you choose an in-home service, we’ll reach out to you within 24 hours of your booking to confirm your chef’s arrival time.
*Note: We charge +$15/hour ($120 for 8 hours) for your chef to prep in your home.
SAMPLE MENU
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SAMPLE MENU *
CUSTOM MEAL PREP FAQS
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Currently, our meal prep services are only available in Austin.
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Yes, the beauty of a fully custom service is that you can design a menu that best fits your dietary needs and goals. Note: Some diets may incur higher grocery fees than estimated based on the cost of ingredients and/or additional chef hours based on complexity of the menu.
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Service Fee: After your complete the client questionnaire, we’ll send you a booking link to secure your service date. You’ll see the option pay via Stripe or PayPal. Once your payment has been received, we’ll send you your custom menu to review, provide feedback on and approve.
Grocery Payment: ~3 days before your service, we’ll shop for your groceries. We recommend providing login information to an online account at the grocery store of your choice so that your chef can easily submit an online order without needing to request reimbursement.
Tipping: Tipping is optional but appreciated. You’ll see the option to add a tip at the time of booking, or you can come back to the link to add a tip after your service. 100% of the tip goes to your chef.
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Yes! You get to choose the store your chef purchases groceries from.
Your chef will purchase the groceries and we’ll send you an invoice with a copy of the grocery receipt. You’ll pay the invoice through our secure payment platform.
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We’ve found that most of our client prefer their meals be cooked offsite at our commercial kitchen and delivered to them. Delivery is free for the first 15 miles from our East Austin kitchen, and $2/mile after the first 15 miles. You can also elect to pick up your meal from our East Austin kitchen (1023 Springdale Rd Bldg 1, Ste 1) at no cost.
If you’d like the chef to cook at your home, we’re happy to accommodate for an additional $15 per hour to account for the premium service and additional cleaning time.
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Yes! We offer meal prep gift cards.
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We’ve found most families prefer to begin their week with a meal prep delivery, so we currently offer Monday and Tuesday delivery slots from 3-7pm. If you prefer another delivery day or time, email us at hello@happycookingatx.com and we can advise if it’s available.
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We service the greater Austin area. For an in-home service, we charge $2/mile beyond the first 15 miles from our East Austin kitchen.
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Yes! $550 for an 8-hour service is our custom meal prep minimum. Our chefs typically can make 4 meals for a family of four OR 5 meals for a couple within that time. If you’re looking for 3 or fewer meals, you are able to swap out meals for snacks, breakfasts and/or desserts to meet the minimum. Typically, 1 meal=2 snacks, breakfasts or desserts. Your chef will be able to consult on the exact number of meals and add-ons you can get for $550 based on the number of people and the complexity of meals for your service.
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Your chef is happy to stay on your meal prep day to serve a dinner for an additional $120 ($60/hour x 1 hour for service + 1 hour for clean-up). Our chefs have a day rate of $550 + groceries if you’d like them to come back an additional day.
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Yep! We’ll email you your reheating and plating directions the day of your service. The instructions are designed to be easy-to-follow and quick. Your meals will be fully cooked, so reheating should take less than 10 minutes in most cases.
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We’ll deliver your meals family-style in disposable aluminum pans provided by Happy Cooking. These pans can be directly placed in the oven for reheating, or you can divvy out the desired portions into your own reheating or storage vessels at home.
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Yes! We’re happy to book you for multiple dates if you know in advance when you’d like service. We have limited custom meal prep service slots available, so we recommend booking asap.