New Project Spotlight: To-Go to Gourmet
Every once in a while, a project comes along that’s just genuinely fun to work on. To-Go to Gourmet was one of those projects.
The concept is simple and brilliant: take everyday takeout and grocery store to-go items and transform them into gourmet, restaurant-worthy meals — without spending hours in the kitchen. Hosted by chefs Chad Gardner and René Felix, the show lives on YouTube and speaks directly to busy professionals and families who still want something special on the table at the end of a long day.
My job was to give that concept a real home online.
The Challenge
The show already had a clear identity and a growing library of content. What it needed was a website that could organize that content intuitively, reflect the warm and approachable personality of the hosts, and grow alongside the channel without requiring constant maintenance. It also needed to support a secondary goal — generating leads for private cooking classes and Zoom sessions with the chefs.
That’s a fairly typical set of requirements for a content-driven small business, but getting the balance right takes some thought.
What I Built
The site is built on WordPress with a clean, food-forward design that keeps the focus squarely on the content. Episodes are organized into four categories — Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts, and Promos — making it easy for visitors to browse by what they’re in the mood for rather than digging through a flat list of videos.
The homepage features an embedded YouTube gallery that pulls in the latest episodes automatically. This was an important design decision: the show publishes regularly, and the website needed to stay current without requiring the client to update it manually every time a new video drops. Set it up right the first time, and it takes care of itself.
A dedicated contact section invites visitors to reach out about private cooking demonstrations, small-group classes, or virtual Zoom sessions with Chad and René — keeping that revenue opportunity front and center without feeling pushy.
The Result
The finished site is a natural extension of the show’s brand — approachable, polished, and built around the content rather than competing with it. Chefs Chad and René now have a solid digital platform to grow their audience, showcase their episode library, and expand into classes and events as the show continues to build momentum.
It’s a good reminder that not every website needs to be complicated to be effective. Sometimes the best design gets out of the way and lets the work speak for itself.
Visit the site at togotogourmet.com and see what you think. And if you’re a content creator, chef, or small business owner looking for a website that works as hard as you do — let’s talk.
