Meet Derek Douglas | Chef/Owner Dinners by Derek

We had the good fortune of connecting with Derek Douglas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Derek, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
DBD started as hobby in my neighborhood Facebook group. Colder weather one November left little time to spend outside, and brought a greater focus to the warmth of the kitchen. More and more new recipes yielded a surplus of more and more great food to try, so many of those trials went into the subdivision for sale. At the time, DBD had a greater focus on simply good food, but as demand grew outside of a few houses, it was apparent that both healthy and convenient fare was in short supply. We amended our early recipes from there, and the rest is history.

What should our readers know about your business?
Dinners by Derek is a better version of an existing concept offered nationally by a number of other firms. There are a many large scale brands offering meal prep these days, but a few factors truly set us a part; the first of which is the food itself. Each of our meals is prepared with whole ingredients that are purchased, prepared, and delivered in about 36 hours, twice each week. Our production facility is centered only a few miles from our farthest delivery destination, not in a nameless factory that ships product in frozen via UPS from states away. Our team is made up of veteran chefs, culinary and nutritional degree holders, and men and women who believe in a service first approach to work and life – not assembly line clock punchers handling mass produced, soulless food. We understand that nutrition and convince are the most significant pillars in our success, and we carefully measure all macronutrient data and allergy information to be presented when ordering and on each of products for a fully transparent approach to consumers. As with any organization, we are not without flaws, and if we’ve made a mistake we consider ourselves to always be on the clock to remedy our short comings to the best of our ability. Truly a simple approach and a consistent execution with these values at the forefront have made us the brand we are today. We would also be remiss to not acknowledge our overwhelmingly loyal audience that has done more for our popularity though word of mouth than any strategic advertising could ever hope to accomplish. Thank you to those we are luck enough to serve!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
After a number of years living and working across the country, I find myself most content in a small community with family and friends. Hosting a guest wouldn’t include many lavish outings, but more a tour of frequent destinations to really offer a sense of my daily life. Time spent catching up at the local coffee shop, a nice walk at the park on the corner, and dinner out to local favorites would certainly make up most of the trip. I would consider however, a true gesture of exemplary hospitality, as hosting guests at ones own home with food and drink made with love and a warm and inviting pace to laugh and relax.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Its certainly a cliche, but many thanks to my mother, Michelle. Her resiliency and uncompromising sense of duty as a parent and individual have made me to be someone that will not only find a way to survive but to flourish in whatever circumstance comes my way.

Website: dinnersbyderek.com

Instagram: @dinnersbyderek

Facebook: facebook.com/chefderekdouglas