‘Chipotle of meal prep’ opens in Modesto, replaces former food prep business downtown
When one food prep door closes, in Modesto it seems another one opens almost immediately.
Modesto-based food prep business Go Fresh closed all of its locations late last year after seven years in business. The meal-prep company started as Prep For Success Meals before changing its name. It had locations in Modesto, Turlock and Pleasanton before founder and owner Billy Anderson decided it was time for something new.
The Modesto location, on H Street in the Smart & Final shopping center, closed first last year and then the remaining Turlock and Pleasanton spots shut mid-December.
“After seven years, it was time to move on for me,” Anderson said in a message about the decision to close Go Fresh. “COVID shifted so much of our world and we think expedited the growth of e-commerce and decrease in retail.”
But Central Valley food prep enthusiasts didn’t have to wait long for a replacement. The former downtown Modesto location in the Lincoln School shopping center has been converted to the new meal prep business, LeanFeast. The site opened in late summer, and is ramping up production at the start of the year as people make healthy New Year’s resolutions.
The Modesto franchise is owned by Gia Smith, who has opened two other restaurants in the region, which have since closed, as well as worked in area health care. Her other ventures were Fired Up Grill & Meal Prep in Ceres, which was a combination barbecue and meal prep restaurant, and the nightclub restaurant Mystique Ultra Lounge in Modesto, which opened a few months before the pandemic hit.
Now Smith is back with another meal prep business that she first found as a customer and said helped her lose some 80 pounds. Based out of the Bay Area, LeanFeast has about 20 locations nationwide with eight in Northern California alone.
Smith calls the company the “Chipotle of meal prep” due to its customizable format. Customers can walk in, order online or get their food delivered. Like a Chipotle or Subways, the shop allows people to pick from numerous choices and watch their meal being prepared in front of them. The shop offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
“Other local places have only already pre-made, pre-packaged foods. Here we give you a variety,” she said. “We have fish, we have vegetarian options, we have beef, seafood, poultry and vegetarian options. It’s all made fresh, and all can be made to order.”
LeanFeast has some 30 varieties of proteins available, from chicken to beef and salmon to shrimp as well as vegan and other opens. You can further customize by picking your carb options (from brown and white rice to mashed regular and sweet potatoes and steamed quinoa), your veggies and choice of seasonings.
Smith said unlike a lot of other meal prep businesses, LeanFeast doesn’t require a subscription. People can walk in off the street for quick lunch, or order packs of 10, 15 or 20 meals each which can be picked up or delivered. The staff can heat your meal for you, and there is a small bar available if you want to eat on site.
Individual meals are priced by protein size, starting at $9.30 for 4-ounces of chicken breast and going up to $13.40 for shrimp. The 10-meal packs start at $88 for chicken, and can be ordered with 4, 6 or 8-ounces of protein.
The shop also sells a wide assortment of healthy snacks, from protein bars and shakes to powders and other snacks. You can also pick up premade specials, like its “meatza” (a pizza made with chicken meatloaf as a crust), from its refrigerator case.
The interior of the shop has been completely remodeled, Smith said, and offers clean lines and colorful affirmations on its walls. Manager Meiska Darden arrives at 6 a.m. each morning to cook the proteins and the rest of the offerings daily in the shop’s full kitchen. Smith works with a staff of about eight, and offers next-day delivery.
Smith stressed that it’s their variety, and your ability to build-your-own meals, that makes LeanFeast stand out from all the other meal prep businesses.
“I always find myself getting bored with eating and when I tried LeanFeast I saw they had a variety,” she said. “It really works for everyday living...(whether you’re on) Weight Watchers or paleo or keto. It makes it easier for people who are on specific diets. It gives options to everyone.”
LeanFeast, at 1801 H St. Suite A3 in Modesto, is open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. , Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 209-550-9025 or visit www.leanfeast.com/modesto.
