The term “dream dinner” may bring to mind a perfect date at a candlelit table, violin music in the background, with the meal capped by a wedding ring hidden in the champaign glass.

Dream Dinners is also a clever food franchise that's growing fast. It's all about people cooking under supervision according to planned menus. It's one of those ideas that has people slapping their foreheads while exclaiming “why didn't I think of that”?

Americans are busier than ever before. Eating well at home is besoming more and more difficult . Frozen foods and pre-packaged meals are fine, but just not the same. But doesn't something have to give when time is on a budget? That's where this franchise steps into the picture.

The program works like this. People visit the location and then choose up to all 14 items on a provided menu. They then pay for the number of servings desired. Then they cook it while still at the shop. This can be accomplished either in public or private sessions, with cooking pros directing the preparation action. It's a little bit like a cooking show where the show gives the viewer the food then helps them prepare it along with the host.

It sounds a lot more expensive that it really is. The more people buy the more they save, so all 14 meals are about $3.50 per serving not counting sides and other items like salads. A total of about $5 per serving isn't a bad price to pay for a good meal. That's a great deal for the food plus the cooking instruction.

This is a franchise business. There has been some tension. The food and menus are fine, but the franchise owners may have a problem. Forbes magazine published a detailed account of Dream Dinners in early 2008. The company didn't look very good in the article. Franchisees flocked to this brand new idea. But many of the franchisees lost their shirts after only a short time, which meant the business plan may be flawed. There may have been some misrepresentations made as to potential profits.

That's something for the company to handle. For patrons, it's fun to handle the cooking chores while working off of a wonderful menu.

Evan