Getting Started
Q: How does Goodness Cooks work?
We prepare fresh dishes each week, featuring our favorite local produce, meat from Firsthand Foods and Joyce Farms, and organic ingredients. You can order online by selecting shop on our homepage and choose to pick-up your order or have it delivered to your home on Wednesdays.
Q: Do I need to create an account to order?
When you check out for the first time, you’ll enter in your information to create an account. All your info will be connected to your mobile phone number, which you will use to sign-in and receive info on your order and alerts when menus drop.
Q: Do I need a subscription?
No subscription required. You can order any week you like.
Q: When do I need to place my order?
Menus open Fridays at 2pm and close Sundays at 5pm. Reminders will be sent out via text before the menu closes.
Pickup & Delivery
Q: Where and when is pickup?
Pickup is on Wednesdays from 4-6pm at the Piedmont Food Processing Center, 500 Valley Forge Road in Hillsborough. Pick-up instructions are sent to you when you place an order. Look for our signs!
Q: Do you deliver? And what is the cost?
Yes! We deliver on Wednesdays between 3-6pm. Enter your zip code at checkout to see if you’re in our delivery area. Delivery fees are between $5-$9 depending on the distance from our kitchen. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE DELIVER TO YOUR ZIP CODE
Q: Do I need to be home for delivery?
We highly recommend either being at home during delivery hours or returning home within the hour to refrigerate the food. We ask customers to leave coolers by their doors for delivery drivers. (This is less important in colder months.) Drivers will send a text message to your mobile phone when they have delivered your order.
Q: What if I need to cancel my order?
Email us at goodnesscooks@gmail.com or text us at 984-310-8192 before the menu closes for a full refund. After the ordering deadline, we will do our best to refund you what we have not prepped for or give store credit.
The Food
Q: What does the weekly menu include?
Each week you’ll find a main protein entrée, sides, salads, soups or stews, snacks, a gluten-free dessert, and beverages. Menus change weekly with seasonal ingredients.
Q: How long does the food stay fresh?
Most items last up to 7 days in the fridge. Salads are best within 2–3 days. Pantry items last up to a month. Many items can also be frozen in plastic containers for enjoying later. If you’re an Eco Member, you can purchase a plastic deli container off our menu for freezing.
Q: How do I store and reheat the food?
>Keep your food in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Either serve cold or reheat per the instructions that will be sent via text.
Q: Can I request substitutions or custom changes?
We’re sorry, but we can’t accommodate individual requests.
Communication
Q: How can we communicate with Goodness Cooks?
Please send us a text at 984-310-8192 or email goodnesscooks@gmail.com and someone from our team will respond as soon as possible. If you are already signed up through our webstore and receive our text reminders and weekly menu drops, you can simply hit reply and send your message.
Q: How much will GC communicate with me via text?
We will send out a menu drop reminder on Fridays at 2 PM and a reminder to order on Sundays before the menu closes. If you place an order, you will receive a text on Wednesday morning with the pick-up/delivery info and reheat instructions.
Q: What if I don’t want to receive texts from GC?
You can always reply with “STOP” anytime to opt out. You will still sign into your account using your phone number and retain your Eco Membership status if you’re an Eco Member, but be aware that you will no longer receive the weekly pick-up/delivery reminders if you order or weekly menu drops on Fridays.
Eco Program
Q: What is the Eco Program?
When you join the Eco Program, your order will be packaged in reusable glass mason jars (except select desserts). This program reduces plastic packaging waste and is a big part of what makes Goodness Cooks unique. Many protocols are in place to ensure that the jars are cleaned properly, checked for imperfections, and handled safely. You will digitally sign an agreement when signing up that will go over all of the expectations of the program. (Check out the Eco Program Agreement to get a better sense of what it entails.)
Q: What is the cost?
There’s a $50 fee when you sign up. This buys you a Goodness Cooks insulated bag, a set of jars and lids, and pays for the labor of running the program. A $20 renewal fee will be added to your cart on every 10th order. You can opt out at any time.
Q: How do I opt out of the Eco Program and choose to get plastic containers instead?
When you are an Eco Member, you will be defaulted to “Eco Member” at checkout. Simply click on “Regular Customer” and then you will be defaulted as a regular customer from then on and not be charged any future fees for the Eco Program. Please return your jars at your next order. You may keep one insulated bag.
Q: How do I return jars each time I order?
Please wash jars and lids by hand with soap and hot water or run through your dishwasher. Place lids back on the jars after drying and pack them back in your insulated bag to return when you order next. Then you’ll bring them to pick-up or leave out for the driver on Wednesdays.
Q: Do I have to return jars every week?
Not necessarily. However, if it’s been a while, you can return them on any Wednesday at pick-up (4-6 PM) or schedule a free pickup at your house through our ordering page.
Q: Tell me about the insulated bags?
When you sign-up for the Eco Program, you will receive your glass jars in a branded insulated bag. This bag is yours to keep even if you leave the program. If you are a pick-up customer, you will bring your bag with your clean jars with you to get your order. If you are a delivery customer, the driver will bring a new bag with your order each time they deliver. You will put that bag back out for the driver to retrieve the next time you order. So, please don’t use the insulated bags in your daily life – they are for GC deliveries only! If you choose to leave the Eco Program, you may keep the bag you have.
Miscellaneous
Q: Do you sell gift cards?
Yes. You can buy a digital gift card through the Shop page. Choose the amount and the recipient will get it by email after checkout. The recipient will receive a code to enter at checkout to use their gift card.
Q: How does the referral program work?
Click on Shop to get to our webstore. Once you’re signed in, click on the top left menu bar to find your profile. (You can also find your referral code on your order receipt.) Click on your referral code at the top to “copy” it and then “paste” it into a text or email to a friend or family member. They will then enter that code at checkout to receive 20% off their first order. You will receive a $25 credit to your account to use any time.
Q: What is the “Bottle processing fee” that’s added to my order?
Our webstore platform, Bottle, is a small company out of Atlanta that specializes in creating software for food businesses like us. They provide many efficiencies and ease of communication for us and for customers alike! They charge a 1.9% fee per order, which we ask that customers cover. We cover the 2.9% fee that Stripe, our credit card processor, charges per order. Thanks for your support of our small business!
Still have questions?
Email us at goodnesscooks@gmail.com or text us at 984-310-8192 – we’re happy to help!