AROUND TOWN
In and Out of the Kitchen;
On the Web and Off the Trail
Marvie McDonald ’02 was fixing
supper when it occurred to her
that it was her calling in life. In
November, the “foodie from way back” made
her love of meal planning, shopping, and
slicing and dicing into a business by opening
Homemade Suppers. Customers schedule a meal preparation session online or
over the phone, then stop by her commercial kitchen in Southern Village to assemble
the ingredients for several main courses.
“We’ve helped you plan your menus,
bought your groceries, prepped everything
and portioned it out,” McDonald said. “All
those dinner parties you haven’t had? All
you need is some Homemade Suppers in
your freezer. Invite people over, make a
salad, pour some wine, and you’re pretty
much set.”
McDonald consults with two chefs and
a nutritionist to come up with a batch of
recipes that change every month. Customers go from station to station, assembling the ingredients for the dishes they’ve
chosen, omitting the mushrooms the kids
won’t eat or adding extra onions, tailoring
the meals to their families’ tastes.
Customers buy six meals for $130 or 12
meals for $215; each meal serves four to six
people.
Hours: noon- 6 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.- 6
p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Thursday; 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday
Homemade Suppers, 410 Market St.,
Chapel Hill, (919) 942-4440; www.home-
madesuppers.com
shop is smoke-free and serves no alcohol.
The original Firehouse outlet was
launched in Jacksonville, Fla., by two firefighters. The Patels’ store maintains a firehouse theme, with Dalmatian-print tables,
liberal use of red paint and an array of fire-fighting gear hung on the walls. Even the
drink cups have pictures of real fire-fighting
heroes.
The Patels host charity nights, donating
a percentage of the net sales on a given
night to a designated nonprofit.
Hours: 10: 30 a.m.– 10 p.m. seven days a
week
Firehouse Subs, 157 East Franklin St.,
Chapel Hill (919) 356-7176
■ ■ ■
More kudos for crunchy, green Weaver
Street Market. In October, the natural
foods co-op was named Sustainable Business
of the Year by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro
Chamber of Commerce’s Foundation for
Sustainable Community. The chamber’s
executive director, Aaron Nelson ’ 97, said
the market had invested in other community organizations, supported local agriculture and become a community fixture.
Judges scored finalists on the “triple
bottom line” — environmental protection,
social equity and economic prosperity.
Weaver Street has been a presence in
Carrboro for nearly 20 years. The co-op
opened a branch in Southern Village three
years ago, and Hillsborough recently
approved Weaver Street’s application to
open a store in Gateway Center on South
Churton Street.
Weaver Street’s status as a community
fixture was at the center of a kerfuffle last
fall when Carr Mill Mall management
(landlords for the Carrboro store) prohibited a local man from dancing on the
PHOTOS BY SARAH MCCARTY ’ 96
■ ■ ■
Sandwich shops are hot on Franklin
Street. The newest, Firehouse Subs, opened
just as students returned in August. Aruna
Patel, who owns the sub shop with her husband, Atul Patel, built on her success with a
Firehouse franchise in Sanford. She said the
Firehouse sandwiches are unusual because
the meat and cheese are steamed, while the
bread is toasted separately. An 8-inch sub
costs about $5; a 12-inch is about $7.
Drinks, chips and other sides are extra. The
110 January/February 2007
In December, al fresco diners at Weaver Street Market enjoyed some pre-holiday sunshine on a
Sunday afternoon. The market won a local award as the “Sustainable Business of the Year.”
