Social Catering is now Social Kitchen, with first brick-and-mortar store
Providing a helping hand in customers’ “living, giving and entertaining” needs is the marketing concept behind an enterprise that is opening its first brick-and-mortar location.
Social Kitchen, which has been providing chef-prepared meals for the last three years, held a soft opening at 2910 Kerry Forest Parkway, in the Northampton Shopping Center, at 10 a.m. Friday.
To celebrate, the first 100 customers to spend $25 or more will receive a free Social Kitchen insulated cooler bag.
Angela Walker, managing partner for the venture, said she is excited to give the Tallahassee community “something you really can’t find anywhere else.”
The former catering operation is expanding into a full-service market concept with prepared foods and premium steaks, along with specialty groceries and gifts.
The kitchen is a spin-off of another concept, Social Catering, created by For the Table Hospitality group, behind Madison Social and Township, both in College Town.
The difference between the two culinary concepts is Social Kitchen prioritizes the idea of convenience with a “drop off and pick up catering (feature), with the same level of service and presentation,” Walker said.
Social Kitchen originally operated from inside the Capital City Country Club. With its new large storefront, the original "butcher shop" concept that the team juggled with has transformed into a full market.
New store in Tallahassee will offer premium steaks
The new main draw: Its offering of premium steaks provided by Snake River Farms, a family-owned and operated company based in Boise, Idaho. Snake River Farms has been recognized for its quality beef by prestigious chefs, including Wolfgang Puck.
Customers will see the premium steaks in refrigerated display cases as soon as they walk in. A case next to it contains key ingredients for charcuterie boards for any occasion.
Wooden shelves with specialty gifts including kitchenware, cooking ingredients and decor all line the shelves making grocery, house and gift shopping more convenient.
“Our intention is that people can walk out the door with a full meal and mix and match different things throughout the store,” Walker said.
Another notable feature is the chef-prepared meals available to order online and available for in-store pick up every Monday at the Kerry Forest Parkway location, or at the country club.
The menus are updated weekly and kept “fresh” to date with seasonal veggies and ingredients, giving patrons options for dinners and lunches.
For instance, meal options for the week of Dec. 4th include bruschetta chicken served with roasted asparagus, creamy Tuscan pasta and mozzarella crostini. An option for the week of Dec. 11 includes teriyaki beef kabobs served with pineapple rice, Asian spinach salad and pot stickers.
The menu is handcrafted by Walker and her team, coming up with "things people wouldn’t normally choose for dinner.”
Meals are offered at a set price of $35 for two servings and $60 for four servings. Menus are placed on the website for up to three weeks to give customers time to plan. Meals also can be delivered with a minimum order of $95.
Walker shared that she is excited to get back to working more closely and personally with customers: “I love making people happy with food.”
If you go
Social Kitchen operates 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.
To order online, visit the Social Kitchen website at https://socialkitchentlh.com/prepared-meals.
Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Social Kitchen opens, offers premium steaks, gourmet meals to go
