YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY

Springfield, MO

Log in Subscribe

Lean Kitchen Co. fills 1,800 square feet of vacant space in the Fremont Center.
Photo courtesy R.B. Murray Co.
Lean Kitchen Co. fills 1,800 square feet of vacant space in the Fremont Center.

Prepared meal service franchise opens in Fremont Center

Posted online

A St. Joseph-based prepared meal service franchise operation centered on healthy food options debuted last week in Springfield.

Lean Kitchen Co. LLC opened April 19 at 1316 E. Battlefield Road in the Fremont Center, said franchisee Natalie Hardin. She co-owns the Springfield shop with husband Jon Hardin.

“We offer individually prepared, healthy meals,” she said of the concept launched in 2016 by founders Austin Evans and J.R. Roberson. “They’re never frozen and always fresh.”

Natalie Hardin said the Springfield store is the third for the couple, who opened their first in Columbia in June 2020. That was followed by a Kirksville franchise in October.

“We’re also looking at the St. Louis area and with the size of Springfield, there may be an opportunity to have two storefronts there,” she said.

She said the Springfield shop’s startup costs were around $20,000 and the Columbia couple has a three-year lease for an undisclosed rate with R.B. Murray Co. The 1,800-square foot space was formerly occupied by The Comic Cave LLC, which shuttered in 2019, according to past reporting.

“Because we had a multiunit agreement, it was included in our first,” Hardin said of the Lean Kitchen Co. franchise fee, which is $30,000, according to its website.

The website also notes additional ongoing 6% royalty and 2% advertising fees.

Roughly 25 breakfast, lunch and dinner options are available in the store, she said. Breakfast items include protein berry muffins, while lunch and dinner choices, such as turkey tacos and a southwest steak bowl, are sold individually or as part of 10- or 20-meal plans.

“All of our meals are made in Columbia and we’re transporting them down to Springfield one to two times a week,” Hardin said, noting online ordering will be available in the next couple of weeks.

Lean Kitchen Co. has 10 other shops in Missouri and is located in nine states, according to its website.

Comments

No comments on this story |
Please log in to add your comment
Editors' Pick
From the Ground Up: Republic Intermediate School

The Republic School District is on track to open its Intermediate School for fifth- and sixth-grade students for the 2025-26 academic year.

Most Read
Update cookies preferences