Home Chef
Home Chef is a Chicago-based American meal-kit and prepared-meal delivery brand owned by Kroger.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Home Chef is an American meal-solutions brand that delivers pre-portioned ingredients, recipe instructions, and prepared meals for home consumption. Founded in Chicago in 2013 by Patrick “Pat” Vihtelic, the company was created around a subscription model in which customers choose from a rotating menu and receive the ingredients needed to prepare selected dishes. Its service is designed to reduce grocery shopping and meal-planning effort while retaining an element of at-home cooking. The brand’s core business remains its weekly meal-kit service. Customers select recipes through Home Chef’s digital ordering experience and can generally choose serving quantities, modify certain ingredients, and add supplementary products. Traditional kits are accompanied by measured ingredients and step-by-step recipe cards. Over time, Home Chef expanded beyond its original format to serve different levels of cooking involvement, including oven-ready meals, fast-preparation recipes, family-sized options, and ready-to-heat products. Its Extras range has included breakfast items, desserts, snacks, salads, pizzas, bread, soups, beverages, grab-and-go products, and protein packs. Home Chef differentiates its offer through menu variety and customization. Its rotating menu has included more than 35 recipes in a typical week, with options organized around preferences such as carbohydrate-conscious, calorie-conscious, protein-focused, and gluten-smart eating. In 2019, the company introduced Customize It, allowing customers to swap or upgrade selected proteins and ingredients within eligible recipes. This flexibility is intended to accommodate household preferences without requiring a completely separate meal selection. The company also serves families through Home Chef’s Family Menu, launched in 2023. The plan offers larger portions and family-oriented formats, including Classic, Oven-Ready, Express, Sheet Pan, and Chopped & Ready meals. In October 2023, Home Chef introduced Tempo, a ready-to-heat meal-delivery service centered on single-serve microwaveable meals. Tempo broadened the company’s reach from ingredient delivery to convenience-oriented prepared food. Home Chef sells directly to consumers through delivery in the 48 contiguous United States and also distributes meal solutions through retail stores in the Kroger family. Its distribution network has included facilities in Chicago, Lithia Springs near Atlanta, San Bernardino near Los Angeles, and Baltimore. The brand has employed more than 1,500 people according to the referenced company description. Kroger agreed to acquire Home Chef in 2018, paying $200 million upfront with the possibility of up to $500 million in performance-based earn-outs. The transaction closed in June of that year, making Home Chef a wholly owned Kroger subsidiary. After the acquisition, Kroger expanded the availability of Home Chef products in selected stores, giving the brand both a direct-to-consumer channel and a grocery-retail presence. Home Chef reported more than $1 billion in annual sales in 2021, although that figure is presented in the referenced Wikipedia material rather than in a separately supplied company financial filing. Home Chef emphasizes packaging recyclability and food-waste reduction. Its shipping boxes and cardboard dividers are made partly from recycled material and are designed for curbside recycling, while some plastic components can be handled through participating plastic-bag recycling programs. The company has also worked with nonprofit organizations near its distribution facilities on food donation and food-security initiatives. Its market position combines the convenience of delivered food with the perceived involvement and customization of cooking at home.
History
Home Chef was founded in Chicago in June 2013 by Patrick “Pat” Vihtelic as a subscription meal-kit company. Its original proposition was to send consumers fresh, measured ingredients together with recipes, reducing the need to plan meals and shop for every component while leaving preparation to the customer. The company entered a meal-kit market that was increasingly built around recurring online orders, rotating menus, and home delivery. In September 2016, Home Chef raised $40 million from L Catterton, a consumer-focused investment firm. The financing supported the company’s growth in meal-kit delivery and helped establish a larger operating platform. Home Chef subsequently became an acquisition target for grocery retailer Kroger, which was seeking to participate in the expanding meal-solutions category and connect digitally ordered meal products with its store network. In May 2018, Kroger announced plans to acquire Home Chef for $200 million upfront, subject to as much as $500 million in additional performance-based earn-outs. The transaction closed in June 2018, and Home Chef became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kroger. The acquisition gave Home Chef access to Kroger’s retail infrastructure and enabled the company’s meal kits to begin appearing in selected Kroger-family stores. It also allowed Kroger to combine a direct-to-consumer subscription business with grocery-store distribution. Home Chef continued developing customization and convenience features after the acquisition. In February 2019, it introduced Customize It, allowing customers to substitute or upgrade selected ingredients and proteins in eligible recipes. This feature strengthened the brand’s appeal to households with different tastes, dietary requirements, or preferences for particular proteins. The company broadened its assortment beyond conventional cook-at-home kits. Its formats came to include Classic meal kits, Culinary Collection recipes, Oven-Ready meals, Express recipes, and Heat & Eat products. Additional items sold through the Extras section included breakfast foods, desserts, snacks, salads, pizzas, bread, soups, beverages, grab-and-go products, and protein packs. Home Chef also organized meals around dietary and nutritional preferences, including carbohydrate-conscious, calorie-conscious, protein-focused, and gluten-smart choices. In 2023, Home Chef launched its Family Menu, a plan designed around larger serving sizes and family use. The offering included Classic, Oven-Ready, Express, Sheet Pan, and Chopped & Ready categories. In October of the same year, the company launched Tempo, a ready-to-heat service focused on single-serving microwaveable meals. These initiatives extended Home Chef from a meal-kit specialist into a broader meal-solutions brand serving consumers with different amounts of time and willingness to cook. Home Chef delivers to customers in the 48 contiguous United States and has operated distribution facilities in Chicago, Lithia Springs, Georgia, San Bernardino, California, and Baltimore. The company has employed more than 1,500 people according to the referenced overview. It has maintained both a subscription delivery channel and a retail channel through Kroger-family stores. The referenced Wikipedia material states that Home Chef reported more than $1 billion in annual sales in 2021. Sustainability and food waste have also formed part of the company’s operating narrative. Home Chef has described its shipping boxes and cardboard dividers as partly recycled and curbside recyclable, while certain plastic bags may be recyclable through participating store-based programs. The company has also partnered with local nonprofit organizations near distribution sites to redirect food and support food-security efforts. As an active Kroger-owned brand, Home Chef continues to operate across delivered meal kits, prepared meals, add-ons, and grocery-retail meal solutions.
- 2023
Family Menu launches
[1]Home Chef introduced a family-oriented plan with larger serving options.
- 2023
Tempo launches
[1]Home Chef introduced a ready-to-heat, single-serve meal service.
- 2019
Customize It launches
[1]The company introduced ingredient and protein substitution options for selected recipes.
- 2018
Kroger acquires Home Chef
[1]Kroger agreed to acquire Home Chef and completed the transaction in June, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
- 2016
Home Chef raises growth financing
[1]L Catterton invested $40 million in Home Chef.
- 2013
Home Chef is founded
[1]Patrick Vihtelic founded Home Chef in Chicago as a subscription-based meal-kit delivery company.
Products and positioning
Flexible, convenience-oriented meal solutions that combine delivered ingredients, simple preparation, customization, and retail availability.
Meal kits · 2013
Classic Meal Kits
Home Chef’s standard cook-at-home format supplies measured ingredients and recipe instructions for customers to prepare meals in their own kitchens. The rotating menu covers varied cuisines and household preferences, with serving quantities and selected ingredient modifications available through the ordering process.
Meal customization · 2019
Customize It
Introduced in 2019, Customize It allows customers to substitute or upgrade certain proteins and ingredients within eligible recipes. The feature makes the meal-kit format more adaptable for different tastes, dietary needs, and household preferences.
Prepared meal kits
Oven-Ready
Oven-Ready meals are designed to reduce preparation and cleanup compared with conventional meal kits. Ingredients are assembled for oven cooking, offering a convenience-oriented format for customers who want a home-prepared meal without extensive chopping or separate stovetop steps.
Family meal kits · 2023
Home Chef’s Family Menu
Launched in 2023, the Family Menu provides larger-serving meal options intended for family households. Its categories include Classic, Oven-Ready, Express, Sheet Pan, and Chopped & Ready meals, with options for two, four, or six servings.
Ready-to-heat meals · 2023
Tempo
Tempo is Home Chef’s ready-to-heat meal-delivery service, introduced in October 2023. It focuses on single-serve microwaveable meals for consumers seeking a faster alternative to cooking a meal-kit recipe.
Meal add-ons
Home Chef Extras
Extras extends the main meal order with supplementary products such as breakfasts, desserts, snacks, salads, pizzas, bread, soups, beverages, grab-and-go foods, and protein packs. The range supports customers who want to combine dinner recipes with additional household meal occasions.
Brand decisions
2023
Expansion into family-sized meal solutionsStrategyBackground
Home Chef sought to serve households requiring larger portions and family-oriented preparation formats.
Action taken
The company launched Home Chef’s Family Menu with larger serving options and several preparation categories.
Aftermath
The brand broadened its meal-kit proposition beyond its conventional serving configurations.
2023
Launch of TempoProduct launchBackground
Some consumers want delivered meals but have limited time or inclination to cook from raw ingredients.
Action taken
Home Chef introduced Tempo, a single-serve ready-to-heat meal service centered on microwave preparation.
Aftermath
Home Chef expanded from ingredient kits into a more immediately convenient prepared-meal format.
2019
Launch of Customize ItProduct launchBackground
Meal-kit customers often have differing preferences for proteins and ingredients, limiting the usefulness of a fixed recipe selection.
Action taken
Home Chef added the ability to swap or upgrade selected proteins and ingredients in eligible recipes.
Aftermath
The service became more flexible for households with dietary preferences or different tastes.
2018
Home Chef accepts Kroger acquisitionM&ABackground
Home Chef had developed a sizable subscription meal-kit operation, while Kroger was expanding its involvement in digitally enabled meal solutions and sought a connection between delivery and grocery retail.
Action taken
Kroger agreed to pay $200 million upfront, with up to $500 million in performance-based earn-outs, and completed the acquisition in June 2018.
Aftermath
Home Chef became a wholly owned Kroger subsidiary, and its products began rolling out in selected Kroger-family stores.
Acquisition consideration. $200 million upfront; up to $500 million in additional earn-outs (2018)
Recent events
- 2023
Home Chef launches Family Menu[1]
Product launch
The Family Menu added larger-serving meal options and formats intended for household and family dining.
- 2023
Home Chef introduces Tempo[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Tempo expanded Home Chef into single-serve ready-to-heat meals designed for microwave preparation.
- 2019
Home Chef introduces Customize It[1]
Product launch
Customize It enabled customers to exchange or upgrade selected proteins and ingredients in eligible recipes.
- 2018
Kroger announces agreement to acquire Home Chef[1]
M&A
Kroger announced an agreement to acquire Home Chef for $200 million upfront, with additional performance-based earn-outs of up to $500 million.
- 2018
Home Chef becomes a wholly owned Kroger subsidiary[1]
M&A
The acquisition of Home Chef by Kroger closed in June, after which the meal-kit company operated as a wholly owned subsidiary and began expanding into selected Kroger stores.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/home-chef · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled