After a holiday season of excessive eating, many people seek to make healthier choices at the beginning of the year. More and more, they seem to be turning to Snap Kitchen. The Austin-based company is the midst of a growth spurt: adding locations in the Heights, Montrose and Cinco Ranch that will take it to 10 in the Houston area alone.
A big media push saw KHOU's Lily Jang raise almost $13,000 after eating nothing but Snap for three weeks; she even recruited her fiance, Eleven XI chef Kevin Bryant, to join her in the effort. Although she "lost" the challenge to Jang, Houstonia features and dining editor Katharine Shilcutt reported that she lost seven pounds. With that kind of publicity, the time seemed right to figure out why Snap is becoming so closely associated with healthy eating.
Providing plenty of gluten-free and Paleo-friendly options further enhances Snap's appeal. Still, Berson says Snap keeps flavor in mind when creating dishes.
CEO Martin Berson offers his opinion for why Snap has been so successful. "I believe it’s a sign of the times," Berson explains. "People are busier and more health conscious than ever. We’re providing a food solution with this in mind, while also delivering restaurant-quality flavors through consciously sourced ingredients.
"Guests love that we’ve prioritized flavor without sacrificing convenience . . . They love that they still get a true culinary experience, even in the form of a grab-and-go meal."
Whether Snap serves as the single source of all the food a person eats or as an occasional supplement to home cooking, customers like that they'll always have choices available to them. "Our guests use Snap to satisfy a range of different needs," Berson explains. "We have culinarily inclined singles, swinging by on a Sunday evening to stock up for the week. Then we have the mom who runs in after her evening workout class to grab a quick family dinner."
Providing plenty of gluten-free and Paleo-friendly options further enhances Snap's appeal. Still, Berson says Snap keeps flavor in mind when creating dishes. "Regardless of a meal’s nutritional attributes, though, our priority is that our food tastes good. We’ve seen plenty of meat eaters digging into and enjoying our vegan Siam Lentil Bowl."
Expect even more growth in the future. The Heights location opened last week, and Montrose opened Monday.
Although Berson declined to specify exactly where Snap is heading next, he did say that suburbs of their three primary markets are their next focus. "We’re off to a great start with Cinco Ranch in Katy," he adds.
A bison burger is part of Snap Kitchen's new winter menu.
