You Make The Meal, New Biz Does The Prep.

(Tuesday, January 02, 2007) - At 46, Dover resident Bryan Austin isn"™t afraid to try new things. After 20 years of running two successful bed-and-breakfasts in Brookline, Austin decided to purchase some land and start a farm. That was two years ago. And now with his farm "" Dover Farms "" well on its way, Austin is working towards his next business venture: a piece of the Chef Dane's franchise.

Originally founded on the West Coast, Chef Dane's "" a meal preparation franchise "" puts together full meals, taking care of all the preparation and assembly work, leaving only a short baking time standing between you and a freshly cooked meal. And perhaps the most appealing feature: no dishes to wash.

"We save people a lot of time,"� said Austin. "Put the meal in the oven for 30 minutes, and it's a whole cooked meal. You can"™t duplicate that on a frozen level. It will always be fresh. We"™re like a personal chef. You just have to come down to the store."�

Recently, Chef Dane's held an open house to help introduce their product to the community. The store "" in the Bertucci's shopping center in Needham "" is a short drive from Dover; only 10 minutes, in fact, from Austin's doorstep.

"They make an entree and we give it to them,"� Austin said of the open house. "We hope they come back and order more."�

The idea of Chef Dane's in itself requires a level of forward thinking, a willingness to try new things. Austin draws an analogy to the way "there wasn"™t a Jiffy Lube 20 years ago, and there weren"™t cell phones 15 years ago.

"The public needs to look at this and say it makes my life easier,"� he said. "It's got a lot of growth potential if people look at it that way. It's a new concept. It's much wider in the West Coast, but it's coming to the east. As a category, it needs an introduction."�

Austin hopes to do a lot of business online at chefdanesneedham.com, where you can view the whole menu "" which changes monthly "" place orders and book a session. By ordering online, the store can stock their fridge accordingly, always providing the freshest product. And when you come into the store, the staff can either have your meals prepared for pick-up, or you can actually customize the meals yourself.

"All the ingredients are there with simple instructions to prepare a meal,"� said Austin. "Everyone wants to eat well, but it's easier said than done. Our product appeals to busy mothers primarily, but it can appeal to many people. People can come in and socialize, get out of their norm and come home with a meal."�

The man for whom the franchise is named, and from whom all its recipes are based, Dane Mechlin, began as a personal chef in California. As a personal chef, Mechlin traveled to clients"™ homes and created a successful business. As a side project, Mechlin opened a store "" the first in the Chef Dane's model "" and as that business grew, his focus shifted almost wholly in that direction.

Austin got involved when an old high school friend of his happened to meet Mechlin and saw great potential in the Chef Dane's store. Together they started the franchise, and from them, Austin purchased his store. Along with his bed-and-breakfasts and Dover Farms, Chef Dane's completes a trinity of businesses for Austin, one complementing the next.

"Each stands alone, but they complement each other,"� said Austin. "I can use the food from the farm in the store, and I can use the food from the store at the inn. They can help each other grow."�

One of his own best customers, Austin hopes to grow the business quickly, opening as many as three new stores within the year. So the next time you want to eat a fresh meal without the home-cooked hassle or the restaurant price, maybe you"™ll give Chef Dane's a shot.

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