An article on Advertising Age in November, 2005 said,

"'Born out of freezer cooking clubs in Washington state, about 500 storefronts are open today nationwide', said Bert Vermeulen, president of the Ohio-based Easy Meal Preparation Association."

The number continues to rise. A Guy In New York reported in March, 2006, that at that time there were approximately 600 storefronts across the USA. He goes on to say,

"The centers are opening at a rate of about 40 a month, mostly in strip malls and office parks in the nation's suburbs and smaller cities, and are projected to earn $270 million this year, according to the Easy Meal Prep Association, the industry's trade group."

This Miss Manners Blog reported "...almost 700 meal assembly centers around the country," but perhaps the most accurate mode of measure is the The Easy Meal Prep Association's listings.

The Easy Meal Prep Association lists all affiliated stores in their directory. As of May, 2006, they list 284 companies and 775 outlets in the US and Canada.

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"Nationwide, meal-assembly stores are expected to open at a rate of more than one per day, and revenue is expected to more than double to $270 million this year, according to the trade group. The industry is expected to pull in $1.1 billion by 2010."

The quote comes from an article in Washington, DC's Washington Times. They're not wrong -- the business has been exploding. Just two years ago, the idea was unheard of; going to a store to assemble pre-made meals and then freezing them to take home later? Nowadays, though, it's becoming popular enough that almost every busy mom has heard of it.

Easy Meal Assembly is a surprisingly lucrative business. The idea is that families will purchase a number of meals, each for for four to six people, and save money doing so -- it costs way less than eating out, for example -- while saving time as well. Fortunately for business-owners, this still guarantees a decent profit. That's the goal of every business -- save your customer money while making some for yourself at the same time.

For all the East Meal Prep business out there, there are surprisingly few tools for managing the business online. Enter EATS -- a simple-to-use, affordable merchant tool for Easy Meal Prep businesses. Everything's online, so you can manage your business from anywhere. It makes complicated tasks simple -- creating coupons, sending out newsletters and offers, and adding new products.

Download the Features PDF or simply visit our features page to see how many things EATS can do for you.