Celebrating 12 years of Home Appétit!

To celebrate our 12th anniversary (March 29th), we reached out to a group of customers who have been with us from the beginning (and still order today), to hear their stories, H.A. memories, and get their favorite dishes. We’re so grateful for them and all our clients. Here’s what they had to say:

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MICHAEL A.

Do you remember what made you decide to try Home Appétit 12 years ago?
We lived in the same building as Lee. He and his mom once gave a Home Appétit demo in our building's common area. We stayed until the end, eating and getting to know Lee and his family. My wife was pregnant with our first child so we decided to try it, hoping it could make our lives easier. We’ve been ordering weekly ever since. 

What has kept you a loyal client all these years?
The quality and flexibility. If we have plans for a few nights one week, we can order breakfast and lunch options. We have given the gift of H.A. to many friends for both happy and sad occasions, but people always appreciate the gift. Oh, and the blue bags for sure—I couldn't live without them!

What are some of your favorite dishes?
French onion chicken, salads, turkey burgers and turkey meatloaf, fish cakes, and our daughter loves the penne. 

Do any memories about our food or service stand out?
We often rent a house at the Jersey shore with my family. We would always argue about food, so one year we ordered enough H.A. for eight people and drove home to Philly on a Monday night to pick it up. And we didn’t argue about food for the whole week! Also, everyone in my family refers to H.A. meals as “Lee Food” even though we know he has a whole team of chefs now.

Anything you want to share with chef Lee?
It’s been fun watching the success and watching you move to bigger and bigger kitchens. We’re excited to see what the future holds. 

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JEN T.

Do you remember what made you decide to try Home Appétit 12 years ago?
I first tried Home Appétit because someone gave me a gift card after I had my third son. At the time, we were living in Center City and I was commuting to New York City with three little boys at home. Life felt wonderfully chaotic and having delicious, ready-to-go food in the fridge was a lifesaver on nights when cooking or even deciding what to order felt impossible.

We eventually moved to Haverford, and not long after that, Lee started delivering to the suburbs. I was so excited to have Home Appétit back in my life and immediately started telling my neighbors about it.

What has kept you a loyal client all these years?
As everyone discovers, life throws curveballs, from the birth of a child to a surprise illness. Food has always been one way people take care of each other. Home Appétit makes that easy and effortless. I order when I know a busy week is coming and I want great food in the fridge for myself and my family. And I love giving gift cards to friends dealing with those curveball moments because that’s exactly how I was introduced to it.

Favorite dishes?
Everyone has opinions but chicken cutlets are a must order in our house. My youngest loves the mac and cheese. I love the detox salad, the salmon poppers, pork chops, and the breakfast quesadilla.

Any memories that stand out?
In the early days, I used to send feedback and suggestions and assumed it went into some giant inbox. Then chef Lee would actually respond and would even make changes. That level of care and attention is rare and definitely stuck with me.

Any messages for chef Lee?
I’m so proud of what you’ve built. Congrats on 12 years! Thank you for those early days when you would personally reply to my emails, especially when I forgot to order on Friday and was trying to sneak an order in on Saturday. You saved many weeks!

And thank you for bringing Home Appétit to the suburbs. It’s still one of my favorite gifts to give friends who need a little support. And I love that my neighbors now know and love you.

When you’re ready to figure out how we can deliver down the shore in the summer, give me a call! :)

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AMANDA H.

Do you remember what made you first decide to try Home Appétit? 
Twelve years ago my first son was 18 months old and we would all get home from work/daycare at 6 p.m. and be starving. I stumbled upon Home Appétit when trying to find something that we didn’t have to cook and was better than processed meals. It was as a lifesaver to know dinner could be warmed up in a few minutes.

Our boys are now thirteen and ten. We have moved twice and are so grateful for suburban delivery. Now the boys get off the bus and can eat a real meal before sports. A win for all!

What has kept you a loyal client all these years?
The reduced mental load of “what’s for dinner” is so important to me. We are also getting healthier unprocessed food for less than the cost of getting takeout, Instacart or Grubhub.

What are some of your favorite dishes?
The beef chili, the chicken cutlets and lamb meatballs are old favorites. We’re all obsessed with the tortilla chips and salsa now, too.

Do any memories about our food or service stand out?
In the very early days chef Lee would sometimes deliver our bags and my toddler loved to chat with him, make food requests and give reviews. 

Pictured above, left: Michael A and family, right: Jen T and family