Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010

Raleigh woman wants to make your dinner

Making dinner for the family on a busy weeknight after finishing the day's workload can be a hassle.

That's where Erin Cohen comes in.

Cohen, 46, is the owner and founder of Entrees4U, a meal preparation business located near the Triangle Town Center.

"I love talking and working with people, and I am a foodie; this is the best of both worlds," Cohen said of her business that opened in January 2008.

After baking and decorating cookies at her cousin's custom cookie business for a few years, Cohen knew she wanted to work with food and have the flexibility of owning a business.

The motto, "Come in a customer, leave a friend," is evident through the options and programs offered to regulars and those just discovering the business.

"I go once a month," said Sarah Rivers, a customer for more than a year. "I come in, buy a month's worth of food, and pull it out of the freezer on busy nights. It's convenient, friendly and Erin is so talented."

A customer has the option of calling and ordering a meal in advance, coming in and chatting about what's on the menu and what's fresh, or even preparing the food themselves, with some help from Cohen.

When a customer books a session to prepare the meal, they enter the kitchen with all the ingredients already prepped and ready to go. With meals taking three to five minutes to prepare, customers are in and out with the satisfaction of seeing their meal take form.

"We provide them with an apron, they wash their hands and they are ready to go," Cohen said. "We are here to help them, give them cooking instructions and wrap their food to take home to cook."

Entrees4U will even bag and package your meal.

"I feel like I am feeding family and not just customers," Cohen said. "We feel customer service is one of the most important parts of our business, and we will do anything to make our customers our friends."

Cohen offers options for those with dietary restrictions. She also offers at least a few menu items a month with 10 grams of fat or fewer. Nutrition information can be found on the company's website.

Entrees4U holds samplings one Saturday a month. This way, potential customers can try popular items on the menu and decide whether Entrees4U is for them.

On top of meal preparation, Cohen offers catering services, boxed lunches, educational programs and options for girls' nights out or even a child's birthday party.

"Entrees4U can customize your party so your guests have a wonderful time eating, making meals and socializing in a relaxing environment," Cohen said.

Cohen recently held a program for vegetarian teens to learn about proteins and healthy eating options.

"They should not just resort to pasta and pizza time and time again," Cohen said.

The average price per person for an entree at Entrees4U is $4; sides and desserts are less.

"This has been my dream come true," Cohen said, "to own my own business and get to meet and work with so many wonderful people."

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