Laura Schmitt/The Gazette  Alex Hadjis, owner of Katering Kitchen in Cedar Rapids, sautés green beans for one of his Dinners to You. Dinners to You will bring affordable prepared meals to working families and was begun when Hadjis felt there was a niche for residential service. The meals must be ordered in advance and can be received by delivery or pickup Monday through Thursday.

By Marlene Lucas
 The Gazette
CEDAR RAPIDS — Alex Hadjis, 48, realized his neighbors were too busy working to eat well and decided to do something to help them and others like them.
  ‘‘We’re in a new neighborhood and I got acquainted with our neighbors.
  They’re in their 30s and 40s. A lot are working and have kids and I’d see the pizza deliveries being made on weeknights. I thought, ‘Surely these people would like something different.’ ’’ So Hadjis, owner of Katering Kitchen at 130 First St. NW, developed a service offering gourmet dinners to be eaten at home. The business is called Dinners to You.
  He kicked off the service in October.
  On Monday through Thursday, he and his staff of five full-time employees prepare gourmet meals that are delivered or picked up for eating at home. Customers can see the menu online and must order ahead. For example, meals for Tuesday evening are ordered by noon Monday.
  ‘‘We don’t prepare 50 meals and hope we sell them.
  We make only as many as we need and concentrate on quality. We have fresh ingredients. We don’t do a lot of prepared, frozen stuff,’’ Hadjis said. The meals range in price from $31 to $5 and will serve four people. A family of six would order two packages and have leftovers for lunch the next day.
  ‘‘It makes an awfully nice lunch,’’ Hadjis said.
  Examples of the meals are:

• Salmon fillets, roast potatoes and asparagus.

• Chicken Parmigiana with marinara sauce and Caesar salad.

• Almond chicken with potatoes and carrots.

• Roast pork loin with green beans and wild rice.

  Pictures of the meals at the Internet site and Hadjis’ descriptions are much more tempting.
  Each order comes with freshly baked French bread.
  Hadjis learned to cook quality food while growing up, he said.
  His father, Stavros Hadjis, had spent 16 years as a chef in the Greek Navy and cooked the family’s meals. Stavros, 84, still visits the kitchen and shares recipes. His extensive culinary experiences began as a young man growing up in his father’s bakery and winery business in Samos, Greece.

	Alex Hadjis, owner of Katering Kitchen in Cedar Rapids, recently began Dinners to You, a new addition to his already-established catering business.

  Alex Hadjis has worked in the food industry for 27 years. His first job after high school was at the family’s business, the Vernon Inn at 2663 Mount Vernon Rd. SE, now owned by his brother Basil Hadjis and his wife, Lynn.
  Alex Hadjis left the restaurant for a job in food service sales and has worked for companies such as Monarch Foods, Kraft Foodservice and Nissen Meats Co. In 1995, he opened Katering Kitchen, where he prepares food for corporate and private events. The Dinners to You service will expand to include desserts, beer and wine, Alex said. He welcomes comments so he can tailor the service to suit his customers.
  ‘‘Everyone is busy. They don’t have time to cook,’’ Hadjis said. ‘‘This is more of a home-cooked meal waiting for you without the fuss.’

Contact the writer: (319) 398-5862 or marlene.lucas@gazettecommunications.com