LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 49 By Sydney Aveson Photos by Eric Adsit It was a snowy January day, so my husband and I were out getting our ski fix at Whiteface Mountain. After a full day on the slopes, we were exhausted and neither of us had the energy to cook. We had gotten into the bad habit of stocking up on frozen pizzas for occasions like these, but we were craving another op- tion. Right around the corner from our apartment, we found the motherlode of Heat-n-Eat meals for home – The Good Bite Kitchen. The Good Bite Kitchen is not your typical food busi- ness, and its meal offerings are undoubtedly differ- ent from the frozen dinners you can pick up from the grocery store. Owner Kayte Billerman made a niche of her own by combining her love of delicious food with sustainabil- ity. Kayte's meals are locally sourced, use seasonal products, and use reusable glass containers. Farm-to- table is not a new concept, but applying that idea to meals for home is absolutely brilliant. To fully appreciate what The Good Bite Kitchen offers, we must go back in time and learn about its evolution. In 2011, Kayte started selling her food at farmers markets, which quickly led to her opening a brick-and- mortar vegetarian lunch counter on Main Street in 2012. During that time, The Good Bite Kitchen became highly reviewed online and became the go-to spot for vegetarians, vegans, and people with other dietary requirements. But with six seats and a limited menu, that quickly became overwhelming, so Kayte was ready for her business to evolve. In the fall of 2018, she rearranged her space and be- gan to offer a meal kit subscription service. Customers could sign up for meals to be dropped off once a week, every other week, or once a month. The majority of her customers signed up for the once-a-week option. On Sundays, delicious meals were delivered to every- one's homes in reusable containers, similar to how milk in glass bottles used to work in the past. The single-use takeout containers used at the lunch counter on Main Street were something Kayte knew she wanted to change. Kayte was conscientious about how much trash she was putting into the world, even with her small space. Now, all of her customers wash their dishes and return them. She doesn't even need to take inventory of her containers because her custom- ers are so vigilant in bringing them back. Another incredible thing is that Good Bite Kitchen utilizes the honor system, so customers don't have to worry if they forget to bring in their dishes from the previous week; they simply bring them in next time. According to Kayte, the approach has worked excep- tionally well.

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