Less-than-healthy development

Austin shop dishing out healthy meals to-go permanently snaps closed

Snap Kitchen is closing 14 Texas locations.

Austin-based Snap Kitchen, a retailer of healthy prepared meals, is closing 14 stores in Texas effective November 6 — including one in the Capital City.

Snap Kitchen, founded in 2010, made the announcement October 30. North Austin is losing one store, along with six stores in Dallas-Fort Worth and seven stores in the Houston area. Once the 14 stores are shuttered, three locations will remain open in Austin, two locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, and one location in Houston.

Snap Kitchen spokeswoman Emily Dunn says that before COVID-19, the company had been ramping up its digital and subscription services, but the retail fallout caused by the pandemic accelerated those moves.

“It appears, almost daily, increased aspects of our lives shift online — and it is our belief that this consumer behavior shift is here to stay. As such, we are placing greater focus on our direct-to-consumer business to get us through and to the other side of this recession,” Dunn says.

Here is the list of stores that are closing November 6:

10526 W. Parmer Ln., Austin
4941 Belt Line Rd., Dallas
4164 N. Central Expwy., Dallas
5717 Legacy Dr., Plano
2222 McKinney Ave., Dallas
4436 Lemmon Ave., Dallas
2175 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake
5710 Memorial Dr., Houston
9807 Katy Fwy., Houston
19355 Katy Greenhouse, Houston
250 W. 20th St., Houston
19325 Gulf Fwy., Webster
4005 Montrose Blvd., Houston
5785 San Felipe St., Houston

“We are heartbroken to no longer be able to serve our customers through these retail locations,” Snap Kitchen CEO Anthony Smith wrote in a blog post. “However, you can continue to receive your favorite Snap Kitchen meals — easier than ever — through contactless delivery directly to your door. We are so grateful for the loyalty you’ve shown us over the years, and we want you to know that we’re still here for you.”

In Austin, the following stores will remain open:

1014 W. Sixth St.
10001 Research Blvd.
4301 W. William Cannon Dr.

Dallas' Snap Kitchen at 4115 Skillman St., Fort Worth's store at 2828 W. Seventh St., and Houston's location 3600 Kirby Dr. will also remain open.

Snap Kitchen meals are still are available online and at certain Whole Foods Market stores.

For Snap Kitchen customers with orders ready to be picked up, meal plans will continue as usual until November 6. Some plans with orders scheduled after November 6 will be shifted to the nearest store that’s still open. For others, any orders scheduled after the closing day will be automatically canceled and refunded.

“We are beyond lucky to have customers like yourself who have helped us earn a sense of brand loyalty that is unmatched in Texas among healthy food options,” Smith wrote. “So, while we are saddened to be closing many of our doors, we are hopeful that you’ll continue to trust us to bring you healthy, convenient meals in a snap.”

closings health

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.