Feast & Fettle has acquired WECO, the food preparation and delivery service that began in 2020 at the start of the Covid epidemic. For a time, WECO was headquartered on Arlington Street in West Acton, before moving to Salem, New Hampshire earlier this year. The building they used is now occupied by the new Silver Girl restaurant.
WECO prided itself on providing quality chef-prepared meals using fresh local ingredients that helped their clients eat healthy food while enjoying the company of their family without the hassle of purchasing and cooking food. Over the years WECO expanded their menu and expanded their delivery area to much of the northeast while collecting a loyal following. Customers of WECO were able to order meals for delivery the same week as the sale occurred.
Feast & Fettle, founded by Maggie Mulvena Pearson and Nicole Nix in 2016, operates out of East Providence, Rhode Island and is a self-described “premium meal delivery service.” The company’s growth has been steady. In 2021 they began delivering to Boston; they added parts of Connecticut in 2022, and this year added New York and New Jersey. And WECO is not the first business they have acquired. They bought Boston based Bountiful Kitchen in the summer of 2021 and, in late 2021, they bought Fresh City Kitchen, a well-known office catering business in the Boston area. They did experiment with two brick and mortar locations, but the Pawtucket store closed last month after a year and a half of operation, and the Cambridge Mass location closed in June, one month after opening. Carlos Ventura, CEO of Feast & Fettle, said that the company wanted to refocus and concentrate on what they do best: food preparation and delivery. Hence the acquisition of WECO that gives Feast & Fettle access to WECO’s customer list and the ability to continue growing.
“This acquisition reflects our commitment to thoughtful, strategic growth,” said Carlos Ventura on the Feast & Fettle website. “WECO’s customers are a natural fit for our brand, and we’re excited to welcome them into a community that prioritizes quality and care. As we expand into Brooklyn and beyond, our focus remains on achieving sustainable, profitable growth while delivering the exceptional service our members trust.”
On the Feast & Fettle website, Jennifer Fremont-Smith, former CEO of WECO, expressed her enthusiasm for the transition: “WECO has always been about creating high-quality meals that bring people together. Joining Feast & Fettle ensures our customers continue to enjoy the service they love, now backed by a team that shares our passion for quality and hospitality. This is an exciting new chapter for everyone involved.”
Similar to WECO, Feast & Fettle offers chef cooked meals with delivery but, unlike WECO, you need to become a member or, maybe more accurately, a subscriber. A couple ordering two meals per week would pay $120 per year. Two meals a week for a family of four costs $180. The sale of WECO has led to mixed feelings from their customers. Some are willing to try the new company while others are sad that WECO is no longer in business and others aren’t sure they like Feast & Fettle’s business model, which doesn’t offer the flexibility that WECO customers were used to.
As to the fate of the WECO employees, in a December 3 article in the Boston Globe, Mr. Ventura said that none of the WECO team would join the staff of Feast & Fettle.
The WECO website (wecohospitality.com) now directs you to the Feast & Fettle website (feastandfettle.com).
Jeff Brown is the business beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.