Our Story
Our founder, Chef Donte Fassett, was born and raised in the housing projects of Philadelphia, and knew his passion for cooking at a young age. After graduating Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2007, he worked in various fine dining establishments for ten years until opening his own food truck.
Chef Fassett started his journey as a sponsor of the CACFP when he learned his children weren't eating the food being served in their daycare. He began preparing their lunches himself, but very quickly, the other children at the facility were asking for those lunches too. He made the decision to personally view the food provided at the daycare and was shocked by what he found: a plate of food items that was gray and mismatched. The staff at the center explained they were doing the best they could with what was available to them, but there were very few options for food providers in the city. Chef Fassett knew that other daycares must be facing the same challenge and children throughout the city must be going hungry. He began to believe if there was no better option of food providers to feed children, then he would be the one to make that option. He opened Mason Meals in 2017, and named the business after his oldest son, Mason.
Our company began with just one daycare center, feeding 25 children, because despite Chef Fassett's hope to feed the community, he faced a challenge convincing daycare centers that he was different from the providers they were all too familiar with. Calling on the strength and determination he learned as a child in Philadelphia, and backed by the love and support of his family and friends, Chef Fassett persevered to gain business from another childcare provider, then another, and another. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he and the Mason Meals team switched gears to providing meals directly to the families previously attending their sponsored centers, as many had relied on the meals in daycare for their children. When the city re-opened, word of Mason Meals was spreading fast. As of September 2023, the company sponsors 75 daycares and feeds approximately 1,900 children three meals a day every day.
We believe what sets Mason Meals apart from other CACFP sponsors is how much we care. We construct our menus and cook our meals with genuine excitement for children to taste and love our food. We prioritize knowing our centers personally and going the extra mile for our services. We work hard because we know and appreciate the hard work center owners put in for this city's children.
Mason Meals is here to serve, and we love what we do.
Chef Fassett started his journey as a sponsor of the CACFP when he learned his children weren't eating the food being served in their daycare. He began preparing their lunches himself, but very quickly, the other children at the facility were asking for those lunches too. He made the decision to personally view the food provided at the daycare and was shocked by what he found: a plate of food items that was gray and mismatched. The staff at the center explained they were doing the best they could with what was available to them, but there were very few options for food providers in the city. Chef Fassett knew that other daycares must be facing the same challenge and children throughout the city must be going hungry. He began to believe if there was no better option of food providers to feed children, then he would be the one to make that option. He opened Mason Meals in 2017, and named the business after his oldest son, Mason.
Our company began with just one daycare center, feeding 25 children, because despite Chef Fassett's hope to feed the community, he faced a challenge convincing daycare centers that he was different from the providers they were all too familiar with. Calling on the strength and determination he learned as a child in Philadelphia, and backed by the love and support of his family and friends, Chef Fassett persevered to gain business from another childcare provider, then another, and another. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he and the Mason Meals team switched gears to providing meals directly to the families previously attending their sponsored centers, as many had relied on the meals in daycare for their children. When the city re-opened, word of Mason Meals was spreading fast. As of September 2023, the company sponsors 75 daycares and feeds approximately 1,900 children three meals a day every day.
We believe what sets Mason Meals apart from other CACFP sponsors is how much we care. We construct our menus and cook our meals with genuine excitement for children to taste and love our food. We prioritize knowing our centers personally and going the extra mile for our services. We work hard because we know and appreciate the hard work center owners put in for this city's children.
Mason Meals is here to serve, and we love what we do.
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