Inside Austin’s Growing Meal Prep Scene 

After Anna Mayeux was diagnosed with the hormonal disorder polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, doctors told her medication was her primary option. Unsatisfied with that answer, she began researching the ways lifestyle changes could balance her hormones, and adopted a strict – gluten-free, low-dairy, low-sugar, no seed oils – diet. 

She spent Sundays lining up containers and planning meals for the week ahead. Now, she’s doing the same work for hundreds of customers across the city.

“I was working a nine-to-five at the time, and … I was having a hard time eating that way consistently unless I was meal prepping for myself,” she explains. “Some of my coworkers were like, ‘Oh my gosh, all your food looks so good, please post your menus, or sell it to me.’”

Shortly after, Mayeux launched Annie Eats on Instagram, and an influencer messaged her to order a meal kit. “That was the second time ever selling them,” Mayeux says. “She made a TikTok about it, and it exploded – literally 150 DMs. I got all my health permits, I found a commercial kitchen in four days, and cranked out 300 meals that weekend. It was insane.”

Across Austin, meal prep companies are finding customers for a variety of reasons. Some residents turn to prepared meals to save time during busy workweeks, while others seek options tailored to dietary needs or fitness goals. As the city continues to grow, local businesses are building loyal followings by offering everything from ready-to-eat dinners to specialized nutrition plans.

Stephen Taylor and Shawn Evans of Corey’s Kitchen Corner Credit: Corey's Kitchen Corner

This local meal prep boom mirrors a larger national trend. According to Grand View Research, the U.S. meal delivery market reached an estimated $15.29 billion in 2025 and is projected to continue growing as consumers increasingly prioritize personalized nutrition and ready-to-eat options. 

“I think Austin is a growing city. It’s a city on the go,” says Shawn Evans, co-owner of Corey’s Kitchen Corner. “To be able to grab one of our meals, pop it in the microwave, and eat it in two to three minutes, it’s just very convenient.”

Corey’s Kitchen Corner offers weekly rotating meals, bulk proteins, and customizable options that customers can order online for pickup or delivery. Evans and co-owner Stephen Taylor said adult children frequently order meals for aging parents who live alone, while parents of UT-Austin students purchase plans for their kids during finals season. Most local companies charge between roughly $10 and $15 per meal, a price many customers compare favorably to restaurant takeout. 

“We have one client that used to DoorDash about $60 in one day on food,” Evans says. “He was like, ‘With you guys, I spend about $150, but I get to eat for five days,’ and so that’s how it’s changed his life.”

Prepared meals from Full Stoke Kitchen Credit: Full Stoke Kitchen

Evans and Taylor worked with the previous owners of Corey’s Kitchen Corner before purchasing the business, saying they were drawn to it as a way to build a healthier lifestyle, stay connected to the community, and work for themselves. But not all entries into the meal prep industry are intentional.

Matt Sweren launched Full Stoke Kitchen after a torn meniscus forced him to step away from his job as a server and undergo surgery. During recovery, he was unable to stay on his feet for long periods. While he was unemployed, Sweren, a longtime home cook, began cooking meals for a friend. What started as a favor quickly grew into a business built largely through Instagram and TikTok.

Many of Sweren’s customers simply want an alternative to cooking after work or ordering takeout multiple times a week. He believes the industry’s biggest challenge isn’t convincing people to try meal prep, but making them aware it exists.

Anna Mayeux of Annie Eats Credit: Annie Eats

“I think there are a lot of people that don’t know meal prep exists,” Sweren explains. “Or they don’t understand that it could be for anybody. It doesn’t have to be gym food. There’s a gazillion different shapes and sizes to that.” 

Annie Eats shows how far the category has expanded, serving customers with specific dietary needs while still offering the convenience of prepared meals. Less than a year after launching the business, Mayeux quit her nine-to-five to focus on it full-time. Mayeux says her growing customer base reflects a growing shift in how customers think about food and health.

“So many women are being diagnosed with hormone disorders,” Mayeux says. “There’s more awareness around hormones and how food’s affecting that. You shouldn’t have to go on medicine if food can fix it.”

Nicholas Noel of Meal Proz Credit: Meal Proz

Alongside more specialized meal prep services, fitness-focused companies like Meal Proz still anchor part of the industry. After Nicholas Noel won a local bodybuilding competition, he began cooking meals for his former high school football teammates who wanted to improve their physiques. The idea quickly snowballed into Meal Proz, a business that now operates four Central Texas locations. “We’re fitness soul food,” Noel says. “You’re eating healthy, but it doesn’t taste like it.”

Meal Proz saw a surge in demand during the pandemic, growing by roughly 300%, Noel says, as people spent more time at home and became increasingly focused on health. More than five years later, many of those customers are still ordering. “They will like supporting local. It’s fresh, it’s not frozen, and they can call or walk in to meet the owner,” Noel says. 

That sense of local familiarity has helped meal prep become quietly embedded in weekly rhythms: groceries skipped, kitchens unused, and one less “what’s for dinner” at the end of a long day.

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