How this State College business lends a hand in ‘dinner for the family’ tradition
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and many people are making their lists of what to procure and when to prepare it. Some people are simplifying their holiday effort into a two-word command, “Contact Kathryn’s”.
Kathryn’s, located in the iconic one-room schoolhouse near the corner of South Atherton and Branch Road, is a take-out food purveyor with deep roots in the Amish tradition, specializing in homestyle cooking. Most of the food cooked on site is sold frozen, ready for you to place in your oven. It’s like having a secret grandma in the kitchen preparing dinner for the family.
Kathryn Fisher, 46, grew up in Lancaster, and her mother was raised Amish, so gardening, canning and cooking a substantial dinner from scratch were the fabric of life. Her mother also ran a large catering business but still managed to corral the family to the dinner table each night, “at the same time, and all together,” explained Fisher, chuckling.
“It’s probably one of the best memories I have as a child. We all came together, had a good home-cooked meal, and it felt like a reset moment. I feel like that is lost so much today. My husband and I maintained that family dinner tradition in our own home, give or take a soccer game or football practice. As the kids got older, they would help set the table because we all knew that when we sat there, there was no rush. We sat for hours, we talked, we lingered. And that is what my four kids and my husband remember most.”
The motto for Kathryn’s “Dinner for the Family” derives from those visceral memories. The business model enables those who lack the time to prepare food for their families due to work pressures or the inability to procure ingredients and prepare them well to come to the table and reset. There is also the added benefit of having the aroma of dinner in the oven when the family straggles in from their busy day.
Busy families aren’t the only target audience. Many seniors in the area are finding their way to Kathryn’s for a delicious dinner that doesn’t require any effort. Many rely on the soups and single-serve casseroles that are stocked in the freezers. And they have earned the right to take that shortcut.
Fisher launched her business in Mifflintown in early 2020, before the pandemic hit. She was at the forefront of the frozen meal/home food prep phenomenon, and the COVID shutdown booted her business into high gear while it shut down restaurants across the board. She rented commercial kitchen space to prep her dishes and delivered the food on Fridays. Eventually she started going to the State College, Boalsburg and North Atherton Street farmers markets and found a very robust market for her products. State College has more dual-income families with less time to spend in the kitchen than her clientele in Mifflintown. She had found her niche.
One of the backbones of Kathryn’s business is supplying school lunch to four different Soaring Heights schools in the region. This private academic initiative provides services for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or who need emotional support services. The food is delivered to the schools frozen and the staff needs only to heat it up for home-style dinners that nourish the body and soul.
“I started the business as a reflection of my personal life. I believe in healthier eating. There are no dyes, red 40, yellow 5, or HFCS. You find that in so many products. It’s a little tricky, ketchup is hard to find, especially from the big food service suppliers,” said Fisher, “but I shop small to stick to that.”
The Beef Stroganoff, Lasagne, and Chicken and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit casseroles in the freezer come in two sizes — single serve and family-sized servings. Soups are available in pint and quart containers, and there are many desserts to choose from, including Key Lime Pie and Pumpkin Torte.
But the signature item there at Kathryn’s is the Cinnamon Roll, each individually wrapped and iced in a lattice pattern. The Cinnamon Rolls are available at area coffee shops, but if you get one at Kathryn’s, you can help yourself to a free cup of coffee.
Kathryn’s frozen foods are available at Centre Markets — which recently closed its Nittany Mall location and will open up shop soon in Pine Grove Mills — and at a convenience store in Mifflintown where she started. There are currently five employees, and Fisher has never had trouble getting workers.
“I am grateful for the help I have here,” she said.
The next step for the enterprising woman is to obtain a production facility so she can expand her school lunch program and increase distribution. But she will have to get through Thanksgiving first.
“My mother is to credit for most of it,” she admits. I think her mother would be very proud. Kathryn’s is continuing the Dinner for the Family tradition and making it available to all who value that very special time at the table with loved ones.
Kathryn’s is located at 1665 S. Atherton St, State College. The little red schoolhouse is open from Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m-5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m.- 2p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays. She is considering extending the evening hours to 7 pm, so keep an eye out to see if that would suit your schedule better.
Kathryn’s Thanksgiving menu is quite traditional, Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Cranberry Jello and Pumpkin Pie. Dinner for 6 is $164 and dinner for two is $68. The deadline to order the dinners is Nov. 17 and pickup is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 26 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
If you are planning to make your own Thanksgiving dinner this year keep Kathryn’s in mind for other easy meals in case you have a houseful of guests and want to keep your kitchen commotion to a minimum. Grandma would approve.
For more information, call 717-966-1703 or email orders@kathrynsllc.com.
