EMMETT, Idaho — A Meridian-based meal prep company is expanding its reach to serve Emmett residents after receiving numerous requests from potential customers in the area.
MEP Meals now offers free pickup for Emmett neighbors every Sunday at La Costa Mexican Restaurant, making healthy, prepared meals more accessible to the community.
"I'm getting a lot of calls, and every time someone calls, they're like, 'Emmett would love your service out here,' and I kept hearing that over and over again," explained RJ Valadez, MEP Meals owner.
Watch to see what MEP Meals is all about.
Valadez said that at first, he thought demand was limited to just a few individuals, but after receiving repeated requests, he determined that there was enough demand in the area to start supplying MEP Meals.
When he tested the public's interest via social media, the response was overwhelming.
"I think I got like 50 likes on that story, and I was like—okay— maybe there is a need for us there," Valadez said.
Valadez ultimately partnered with a friend who owns La Costa Mexican Restaurant in Emmett.
"He's letting us use his refrigerator for pickups," Valadez said. "So that's a great opportunity."
Valadez bought the business nearly two years ago with a focus on helping people save time while maintaining healthy eating habits. The menu is built around health-minded choices, featuring low-sodium options with no added sugar and no seed oils. All meals are entirely gluten-free, except for the breakfast burritos.
"We kind of provide an opportunity for them to eat healthy or just eat in general and not have to spend a ton of money," Valadez said. "A lot of diets were just fast food, and so that's probably the biggest reason behind the MEP meals is helping people eat clean or just be able to eat in general without having to really consume mostly fast food."
The service appeals to a diverse customer base that extends beyond fitness enthusiasts. Valadez has been focusing on reaching out to dealerships and businesses.
"A lot of our customers are finance managers, bank tellers, sales guys at dealerships, people that make more money if they don't take a lunch break," Valadez added.
MEP Meals now serves between 270 and 330 customers weekly, cooking, packaging, and delivering between 1,800 and 2,200 meals every week. The operation runs on a tight schedule with all hands on deck from Thursday through Sunday.
"Thursday, everybody puts in their orders. Some people like ordering early, you know, other people wait till the last minute, but Thursday is when we get the big push," Valadez said.
The ordering system operates with a Thursday 7 p.m. cutoff, though Valadez often accommodates late requests.
"Our cutoff time is Thursday at 7 p.m., so at 7:01 you can place an order for the following week," Valadez said.
The cooking process begins Friday at 4 a.m. and continues until 4 p.m., followed by portioning and packaging on Saturday. Sunday is reserved for pickup times.
Customers can order breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options like protein bites and PB&J oats. The service offers both subscription plans and à la carte ordering with no minimums.
"You can order as little as one meal. There's no minimums," Valadez said. "Some people are like, I want this to cover everything, and then there's people that order like 40 meals from me a week, and they get like PB and J oats, protein bites, breakfast burritos, lunches, and dinners."
In addition to the new Emmett location and the original Meridian base, free pickup is available in Boise and Nampa. The company also offers $11 delivery service across much of the Treasure Valley, including Caldwell, Eagle, Star, and Middleton.
The new schedule has been more convenient for customers, allowing them to receive fresh meals on Sunday for the upcoming week rather than mid-week pickup.
"When we change our schedule, it's more convenient to the customer because now they get their meals by Sunday, then they have like super fresh meals Monday through Friday," Valadez said.
The expansion has been well-received by customers.
"I've been getting great feedback. People are happy," Valadez said.
The company also gives back to the community by donating leftover meals to a homeless shelter in Ontario.
You can place an order with MEP Meals by clicking here and follow them on Instagram @mepmeals.
