By Michelle M. Sharp, Founder and Content Creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers
| WHO: | Libby Mehaffey of Famfare Kitchen | ||
| WHAT: | Ready-to-eat meal pick-up and delivery service | ||
| SIGNATURE PRODUCTS: | Porcupine Meatballs, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Greek Chicken, Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice, Mediterranean Beef Bowls | ||
| WHERE:
WEBSITE: SOCIAL MEDIA: |
Twin Cities Metro |
Someone once shared with me that the ideal business is one that makes life a little better for everyone who uses their product.
South Saint Paul-based Famfare Kitchen embodies that principle through the creation and distribution of their delicious weekly meals.
Their signature menus make weeknight sit down dinners a reality for families throughout the Twin Cities metro around real food. In their commercial kitchen they prepare homemade meals from scratch using wholesome ingredients (and an ingredient list that you’ll be able to pronounce).
Family is their Mission
Founder Libby Mehaffey shares, “Our mission is to bring families together at dinner time at least once a week. We believe that connecting while eating as a family is important.”
The inspiration for the name “Famfare” comes from the creation of their family-style meals. Famfare Kitchen meals are hot and ready to go with customizable add ons including extra helpings or dessert.
These are not kits. They are not subscriptions (though you’re welcome to order a bundle of both 
hot and cold meals weekly). They are definitely not fast food. They’re balanced real food.
The rotating menu of hot dishes include comfort food like porcupine meatballs or Spaghetti and Meatballs, international flavors like Greek Chicken, Indian butter chicken with Basmati Rice, and Mediterranean Beef Bowls, and fun treats like their pulled pork picnic. Hot meals are ready to go to be enjoyed as soon as you get home or easily reheated in their aluminum trays.
To make another weeknight easier, Famfare prepares frozen meals and soups, salads, and breakfast treats so that meals are easy to assemble with minimal preparation.
The Dinner Solution
Libby started Famfare Kitchen because of her experience as a working mom. “After I got back
from work I would have a whole other job to do…Dinner! I read that 90% of meals are made by women. More women are in the work force than ever before. What we prepare at Famfare offers support for women to be present, to know that some of the care of their family is simply covered.”
One of Libby’s favorite parts of her business is the network of Kitchenettes throughout the Twin Cities metro area. The Kitchenettes function like a CSA drop site. The host sites are the face of Famfare within their communities. “Each of these 25 women who receive a monthly commission have their own little 
business within Famfare that supports their neighborhood community. That’s huge!”
An unexpected joy of preparing Famfare meals is hearing from customers who order an extra meal for someone in need. “Our meals head out the door to new moms, people recovering from surgery, or neighbors returning home from vacation,” states Libby. “I love hearing this feedback from customers who are happy and order an extra meal for someone who needs one. Feeding someone else is the greatest gift.”
Real Food for Real Families
The Famfare Kitchen team prepares every meal by hand starting with real, whole
ingredients. This is the way Libby feeds her family. Her menu rotations include long-standing family recipes and new discoveries made in her summer travels.
Famfare has produced weekly meal pickups for thousands of Twin Cities families over the past ten years. “I love what I do and yet I am constantly surprised by how hard it is,” reflects Libby. “Running a small business is hard even after ten years. Meals don’t get easier to make, but the people in my kitchen, running the Kitchenettes, and our happy customers make it worth it. I love contributing to our community in this way.”
As a final testimony, Libby shares her own experience as a customer, “This week I ordered Famfare – I actually did pay for the bundle. Last night was wonky at our house with sports – I ate at four given my crazy work day. Two kids ate after the volleyball game. Two people ate after hockey. Our meals may not earn Michelin Stars, but they are delicious as their own thing. The following night we made the ravioli bake. We made the bread into garlic bread and we actually sat down for dinner together. It was wonderful. I went for a walk while it baked, had a glass of wine while we ate and chatted, and then they cleaned up the simple mess. The meal, its prep and its clean up was everything I wanted out of our service. Famfare is still awesome.”
Explore the Menu
Visit famfarekitchen.com to find your closest Kitchenette and place an order. Menus open each Thursday and close Sunday at noon for Tuesday or Wednesday pickup. Hot meal service runs through the first week of June. Select locations are open during the summer for cold/frozen meal pick up.
Follow Famfare Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram for menu preview and kitchen sneak peeks.
Visit meettheminnesotamakers.com or follow @meettheminnesotamakers on Facebook and Instagram as well as Ambit and LinkedIn to discover the small business owners that make Minnesota an amazing place to be! Meet the Minnesota Makers is a news site that connects you to the local food, farms, artists and artisans that make Minnesota thrive.
