Healthy Meal Prep Store To Hold Grand Opening In Babylon

BABYLON, NY — Residents of Babylon now have extra alternatives to eat more healthy.

Redefine Meals, a Lengthy Island wholesome meal-prep firm, can be celebrating its grand opening at its Babylon location on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

The shop, situated at 255 Deer Pk Avenue, gives ready, portioned meals that match totally different life, comparable to vegan, vegetarian, paleo, low carb, keto, dairy free, and “every part in between.”

Jessica Fallica, vice chairman Redefine Meals, advised Patch that each one meals are “grab-and-go”, and whereas clients should purchase them in bulk, there isn’t a buy minimal. One can even order meals on-line and have them delivered.

“We add new menu gadgets each week to maintain issues enjoyable and contemporary for our clients,” Fallica stated. “All of our substances are sourced, contemporary, not frozen. So it is, it is just about like as if you happen to made a home made meal.”

Co-founder Matthew Riss, 26, advised Patch that he and childhood buddy Mark Ciaburri began the enterprise as school college students in 2016. Each scholar athletes, they acknowledged an imbalance between their intense coaching and the vitamins their our bodies wanted.

“Mark and I have been on the identical soccer group collectively,” stated Riss. “We sort of realized from our expertise as an athlete, how these athletes weren’t being fed appropriately.”

Riss, who studied advertising and marketing at Stony Brook College, stated that he and Ciaburri, who studied dietetics, at Buffalo State fashioned the proper group for the enterprise.

“I used to be the one which dealt with the branding, the gross sales, and the advertising and marketing,” he stated. “Mark was the recipe developer and did all the analysis.”

The duo began out cooking meals for Stony Brook College Athletics on the Stony Brook College Incubator at Calverton.

After their partnership rapidly confirmed success with athletic groups, the buddies found that their enterprise was wanted on an even bigger scale.

“We realized that the issue was a lot greater than simply athletes — it is sort of everybody not consuming appropriately,” he stated. “So we changed into an organization that appeals to everybody.”

In August 2020, Redefine Meals opened its first bodily retailer in Lake Grove. The enterprise presently operates below 74 staff, and holds places in Syosset, Bellmore, Commack, Port Jefferson Station, and Holbrook.

The Babylon website, which held a comfortable launch in July, is its seventh retailer.

“It is humorous, as a result of we began with nearly nothing,” Riss stated. “We have been so younger and naive, which has helped us flip into the corporate we at the moment are.”

Riss stated that Redefine Meals hopes to additionally work with Babylon athletics groups, to assist present correct vitamin to athletes.

“An enormous factor we attempt to do in communities that we work with is fundraise,” he stated. “(For instance) we donated $1 of any sale from the primary day to youth sports activities in Babylon.”

The entrepreneurs hope to ultimately increase Redefine Meals to Queens and areas of New York Metropolis. The enterprise can even be opening a location in Patchogue this fall, Riss stated.

“We’re attempting to change into like, a staple in each neighborhood that we sort of be a part of,” he stated.

Till then, Redefine Meals stated they’re pleased to hitch the Babylon neighborhood. Riss additionally stated he’s excited to herald longtime worker and Babylon resident, Frank Sharp, as a co-owner of the brand new location.

“We have seen such super assist from the native companies and those who stay within the village and go to typically,” Fallica stated. “We’re actually excited to assist the neighborhood outdoors of simply the shop.”