Frozen meals & fresh-baked cinnamon rolls: What to know about new State College business
A new business specializing in frozen homemade meals and fresh-baked cinnamon rolls will soon open in State College — and the owner is hoping to serve as an option for working parents and others looking for an easy-to-make meal.
“Kathryn’s” is set to open sometime in November at 1665 S. Atherton St., the former site of a Brewsky’s Bottle Shop location. It is owned and operated by Kathy Fisher, of Mifflintown, who credits her “horse-and-buggy Amish” parents for her hearty Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.
“My roots are definitely with the Amish people,” Fisher said, adding everything is made from scratch. “It’s the kind of food they have.”
Kathryn’s will primarily operate as a business that serves frozen, ready-to-make meals such as lasagna, mac and cheese, casseroles, soups, pies, cakes, gluten-free options and other specialties. But it will also serve some ready-to-eat, grab-and-go options like chicken salad and tossed salad. Plus, on Fridays and Saturdays, Fisher plans to offer what’s fast become a farmers market favorite in her straight-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls.
There will be no seating at Kathryn’s, which will primarily operate as the business’ main production facility. Kathryn’s will be open to customers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. No firm opening date is yet set.
“I don’t consider myself a restaurant,” Fisher said. “We offer frozen food, and it’s a menu that I try to stay toward the Pennsylvania-style Dutch cooking, so you might not find a fancy filet mignon — although we do holiday menus, so maybe on Valentine’s Day.”
Fisher’s business first opened in Juniata County in 2020, born out of the simple idea that she often froze meals for her husband and four children. She initially planned to hold off on opening until the COVID-19 pandemic fizzled out, but a business mentor told her this could be an opportunity.
They were right. Fisher started her business by renting kitchens, delivering frozen foods on Fridays and building from there. She now sells items through Centre Markets, an online farmers market with a storefront at the Nittany Mall, in addition to similar setups in Juniata and Perry counties.
Fisher has also sold her cinnamon rolls — and other items — at both the Boalsburg and North Atherton farmers markets.
Although her business primarily specializes in frozen foods, Fisher isn’t limited by those. She plans to adjust to her customers but, for now, she plans to offer individual hot and ready-to-eat meals on Fridays — likely ones derived from her frozen foods, so customers can taste them on the spot. And she plans to offer unique frozen dinners for the holidays, such as a slow-roasted Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings for a family of six (Cost: $164) or two (Cost: $68).
Fisher intends to turn Kathryn’s into her business’ main location for production. Her offerings have proven especially popular in this area, she said, believing that might be due to all of the area’s working two-parent families — which can make creating a homecooked meal all the more challenging.
“This,” Fisher said, referring to her business, “is unique because, sometimes, it works to do takeout — but the house smells so good after this. It feels like you did something. It’s a good meal.”
For more information on Kathryn’s and its food offerings, visit KathrynsLLC.com.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 6:09 AM.
