POWELL — Most people need a bit more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away.
Project LeanNation (PLN) certainly understands that.
The company has built a brand on not only helping people put the best food possible into their bodies, but also by having steps in place through nutrition coaching and holistic health tracking to maintain healthy habits.
The Powell Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting on Friday for the PLN’s new franchise at 10726 Sawmill Parkway. The store is owned and operated by Brock and Nicole Meadows, and actually first welcomed customers on Sept. 12.
“Project LeanNation is what a lot of us are looking for. We we want to do our best to feed our body right, but life is super busy,” Brock Meadows said.
“Whether you’re a working professional, a busy family, an empty-nester, or you just don’t want to make food much … it’s designed to help people be consistent in eating healthy.”
PLN sells gluten-free, flash-frozen, ready-to-go meals and protein shakes at their in-store bar. The company welcomes customers, with a membership or not, who come in for grab-and-go service and members picking up their weekly, personalized meal plans.
Meal prices typically range between $11 to $13 and are good in the freezer for a year, if need be, Meadows said.
“What we do differently, beyond a great meal, is that it comes with support from people who actually are knowledgeable and care about your success,” Meadows said.
“A membership doesn’t cost anything, but an active plan [does], and you make that plan what you want. The nutrition coaches, some people really like to use that and some won’t but that’s not a have-to.
“But it’s pretty nice to have when you want it, much like the meals are.”
For the community
PLN now has 31 open locations across the country. Founder Tim Dougherty started the idea at home for his friends and family before later opening the first store in Rochester, New York.
Meadows tapped into this idea and said just like other PLN stores, the idea is to serve the immediate community and not folks “200 miles away.”
Meals aren’t shipped to people’s homes much like other meal-prep companies do.
“This is designed for us to build relationships, us to know you and you to know us,” Meadows said. “And it also gives us the opportunity for us to give that white-glove, concierge kind of service.
“If somebody on our app forgot to change their meal options by Wednesday night, they can come in and we’ll do it right here on the spot, and we can even swap meals out, too,” he said.
“It’s personable, it’s face to face, human to human — something this world probably needs more of.”
Meadows said he doesn’t see the business model as a subscription, and hammered home the word “plan.” He said it’s important that folks realize the meal plan is something people can access, customize and receive all on their own terms.
“On every meal, the label, is Hebrews 12:11. We’re very much in our vision, our mission, our faith,” Meadows said.
“That’s why we’ve maintained, ‘Come meet us at the table.’ Nutrition is a key part of all of our lives, and through that, we believe we can start to help people in many other ways.”
