THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION :: Our Business Community :: Corporate Relocation Services, Commercial Real Estate, Warehousing and Storage

This company is growing faster than its new chocolate souffle.

Home Bistro Vice President of Marketing Spencer Newman said sales are increasing by about 40 percent a year.

"Last year, we shipped well over 1 million meals. We will be substantially higher than that this year," he said.

He said the company now has about 100 employees, up from 14 in 2003 and 36 in the fall of 2005.

The latter was the year Home Bistro completed a $2.2 million renovation/expansion at its Banker Road facility. That gave the company space to create a call center and order-fulfillment area and to expand its offices, locker rooms and production area.

"We do it all in house. That's better for Plattsburgh," Newman said.

He said Home Bistro has a great relationship with The Development Corporation, which operates the Banker Road Industrial Park.

"They've helped us with our space needs specific to a food manufacturer," he said.

Newman said customers can order meals by phone, Internet or mail.

"Now, the majority of our meals come through the Web site," he said. "Before, the majority of our orders came through the catalog and phone."

The company's warehouse in the Salt Lake City area allows its products to be delivered to nearly every destination in the United States within three days, Newman said.

"We are absolutely the largest mail-order company that specializes in chef-prepared meals delivered nationwide," Newman said. "No one can compare with the quality and variety of products we offer."

Home Bistro develops four to five new products each quarter, he said.

One of the new products in the company's Mother's Day catalog is Montreal Biftec, described as "grilled sirloin steak rubbed with a mild Montreal-style seasoning in a buerre rouge sauce made with shallots and Burgundy wine served with potato gnocchi and chopped spinach accented with roasted garlic and butter."

Home Bistro has a new eight-entree line of diabetic-friendly meals, low in sugars and carbohydrates.