Dream Dinners FAQ's
What is Dream Dinners?
Dream Dinners is an innovative concept in meal preparation that eliminates stress by taking away that nagging question of - what am I going to make for dinner tonight? It removes all menu planning, shopping, prep-work and clean-up by moving the meal assembly process out of people's kitchens and into specially equipped stores.
Dream Dinners' guests preview a changing monthly menu online at dreamdinners.com and select their dinners from a menu featuring up to 17 items (depending on location) such as Steak Gorgonzola, Penne with Chicken and Peanut Sauce and Firehouse Three Cheese Pasta with Meatballs. The guest can elect to assemble 3-serving or 6-serving dinners, in any combination that works best for their families. (The minimum order per session is 36-servings.) Our guests then register to attend a meal assembly session at the nearest Dream Dinners store location, and pay for their session online.
When it's time for their session, guests bring boxes or coolers with them to the Dream Dinners store, where our friendly and knowledgeable staff greet them and explain the process. At the store, guests rotate through refrigerated recipe stations, scooping prepped ingredients into the provided baking pans or gallon-sized, zip-top bags, which they label with the appropriate cooking instructions.
After assembling their dinners, guests take the uncooked dinners home and freeze them. Each week, three meals are taken from the freezer and placed in the refrigerator to be enjoyed during the upcoming week.
Our guests find that Dream Dinners enables them to provide their families with nutritious, wholesome, home-cooked dinners with less stress and more time to enjoy their families.
We hope you will give Dream Dinners a try!
What is the cost of Dream Dinners?
Dream Dinners meals are priced per menu item, offering guests flexibility with their food budget. The range includes everything from higher-end prime rib dinners to a more reasonable macaroni and cheese.
When you buy in bulk you save. Our best value is an order of 72 servings or more. All orders of this size automatically qualify for our volume reward which is automatically deducted from the order total. (Availability and amount vary by location.)
To view menus with prices for your location, click on Get Started.
Do Dream Dinners come with side dishes?
Yes! Dream Dinners offers a wide variety of pre-assembled side dishes and accompaniments through our Finishing Touch menu. Variety and availability vary by location.
How long can Dream Dinners stay frozen?
Freezer storage lengths vary by menu item, so we include our suggestions for best quality on each of our cooking instruction labels. After assembling your dinners, the sooner you can get them into your freezer, the better. Don't forget to take out at least 3 dinners at the beginning of each week to thaw in your refrigerator.
How long can Dream Dinners stay in the refrigerator?
We recommend that you take 3 dinners every week from your freezer and place them to thaw in your refrigerator. Depending on where you place them in your refrigerator and what temperature you hold at (recommend 38 - 40 degrees), and what the dinner is, it can take several days (sometimes up to 2 - 5) to completely thaw your Dream Dinners.
Once your dinner is completely thawed, be sure to cook your dinner within these timeframes:
- Steaks/beef, three to five days
- Poultry/Pork, one to two days
- Seafood, one to two days
Can I split my session with a friend?
We are sorry but, due to the space limitations in our stores, we are unable to allow guests to split sessions.
Therefore during regular sessions we permit only one guest per session slot. This policy allows our store owners to offer comfortable sessions for all of our guests and meet occupancy guidelines as set out by state laws.
How can I reschedule my session?
Our website allows guests to reschedule their session within 5 days of their session date. To reschedule your session, log into your account using your login name and password, then click on "My Account". If your session can be rescheduled there will be a "Reschedule" link. Click on the "Reschedule" link, and select your new date and time from the calendar then complete the remainder of the rescheduling process. Your account will show the rescheduled date and time of your session and you will receive an email confirmation of the change as well.
Note: Sessions cannot be rescheduled into a new month or a day offering a different menu selection via our website. Your home store will be pleased to assist you in rescheduling sessions in these, or any other circumstances. Contact information for all of our stores is available on our
Locations page.
What is your rescheduling/cancellation policy?
We understand that life is unpredictable. Due to unforeseen circumstances, guests may need to reschedule sessions. Since we order ingredients specifically for each guest's dinners, we do ask for a 5-day rescheduling/cancellation notice prior to your session date. Reschedule/cancellation changes made with less than 5 days advance notice from the session date will be subject to a 25% restocking fee. This policy allows Dream Dinners to continue to offer our guests healthy, nutritious dinners at reasonable prices. If possible, the store will work with you to reschedule your session within two weeks of your original session date without penalty.
During inclement weather, please contact your local store to see if your session has been cancelled. In the event the store must close, information will be provided on the store's voicemail and every effort will be made to reschedule your session.
May I change my order once it has been placed?
Dream Dinners orders ingredients specifically for each guest's dinners prior to the scheduled session. If your session is more than 5 days away, you may change your order by contacting your local store for assistance. Order adjustments are subject to availability of ingredients. Contact information for all of our stores is available on our Locations page.
Can I bring my children with me to my session?
Whether or not children may attend a session varies from store to store. In some states children under the age of 12 are not allowed, by state law, to participate in a meal-assembly session.
Can I bring my spouse with me to a Dream Dinners session?
One of our goals at Dream Dinners is to make our sessions family-friendly; therefore some of our stores do allow guests to bring their spouse with them to a session or they may offer special "Date Nights" or "Helper Session". Due to the size limitation of our stores, overcrowding of sessions can become a concern. In order to provide all of our guests with comfortable sessions, and to remain in compliance with local occupancy requirements, Dream Dinners must limit the number of guests in stores at one time. Contact your local store in advance of your session for more information.
What is Volume Reward?
Volume Reward is a benefit offered by participating stores to guests who purchase a maximum-sized order. Maximum-sized orders are 12, 6-serving dinners, or any combination of 6-serving and 3-serving dinners, totaling 72 servings. Volume Reward amounts are determined by individual stores and may vary in value from menu to menu. When an individual order qualifies for a Volume Reward, the final cost for the order is reduced by the amount of the reward established by the individual store. For more information about Volume Reward, contact a Dream Dinners store near you.
Can Volume Reward be combined with other programs?
Dream Dinners offers a variety of other programs providing benefits to guests which may not be combined with volume reward. For more information about these benefits, please contact a Dream Dinners store near you.
What are your prices?
Each of our stores is independently owned and operated as a franchise, so pricing may vary from store to store. Click on "Store Locator" to search for the store you will be attending. Then click on "Start Ordering" and you'll see their pricing.
Do you accept EBT/Food Stamps as payment?
At this time, Dream Dinners does not accept payment using Food Stamps or EBT.
When are you coming to our community?
We look forward with great anticipation to the day that we have the opportunity to serve you and your community. We are, however, a franchise organization and our stores are owned and operated by individuals who are qualified to purchase and invest in owning their own Dream Dinners business. As such, our desire to expand is directly related to connecting with partners to join us on our journey to make a difference in the lives of families across the nation. Please continue to watch our website for updates and for new location notifications.
What is Dream Rewards?
Dream Rewards is our loyalty program for guests who visit us on a monthly basis. Please refer to the Special Programs and Events section under How it Works for details.