NYC's OatMeals Serves Oatmeal All Day
Oatmeal – the wholesome grain is a staple in many of our diets, but it's usually consumed as a simple breakfast, often paired with some milk and maybe a little brown sugar or maple syrup. One Greenwich Village business owner has made it her life's work to elevate the lowly oat from its station at the breakfast table and broaden its appeal as a dish that can be enjoyed throughout the day. We spoke with Chef Samantha Stephens, owner of OatMeals in New York City, about how she discovered oatmeal's versatility and why she was inspired to open her all-oatmeal specialty shop.
Creating a Moativated Menu
Stop in at OatMeals any time during the day and they'll likely have a dish to satisfy any craving you may be having. Take the Devils Off Horseback, a spin on the devils on horseback hors d'oeuvre; it features oatmeal topped with goat cheese, bacon, dates, almonds, and maple syrup. Then, there's the Thai Style Sweet & Spicy, which includes pineapple, peanut butter, and Sriracha hot sauce. If you're craving something sweet, consider the S'mores oatmeal or the Gingerbread Bowl.
If one of OatMeals' custom creations isn't exactly what you're in the mood for, build your own bowl of oatmeal topped with any number of the dozens of toppings that are available, ranging from fresh fruit like raspberries and bananas to savory additions like truffle oil and pesto. Any bowl you build is available in three sizes: the 8-ounce Baby Bear, 12-ounce Mama Bear, and 16-ounce Papa Bear.
What sparked Sam's impulse to get creative with oatmeal, of all things? It started when she was an undergrad at Baruch College, part of The City University of New York.
New to the Big Apple's food scene, Sam realized that her ability to indulge in a slice of pizza or a croissant any time she liked was taking a toll on her health. Her interest in oatmeal began simply as a way to make healthier food choices, but it wasn't long before she discovered oatmeal could be more than a tame breakfast meal. She began experimenting with savory oatmeal and soon discovered that the dish could be worked into any meal of the day.
- Chef Sam Stephens
Sam was inspired to turn her passion for oatmeal into a career when she looked around at all the specialty food shops popping up in the city.
"Seeing all these single-item specialty shops that New York has - there's a rice pudding place, there's a macaroni and cheese shop, there was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich shop. I just wondered, 'Why hasn't anyone done an oatmeal bar?'"
Although the inspiration to open an all-oatmeal concept came fairly early for Sam, the journey to opening the shop was an exercise in patience. She began looking for a commercial retail space in the notoriously expensive New York real estate market, but without any formal culinary training, she had a hard time convincing landlords to take her proposal seriously.
"I was looking at the bios of different chefs and different specialty item restaurant operators, and it looked like everybody had gone to culinary school, so I figured that I had to do the time and I had to go to culinary school."
Sam enrolled at the International Culinary Center, where she picked up a host of unique skills. "I learned how to do wedding cakes, blown sugar, cake stands, and chocolates; it was unbelievable. I feel like everything I learned just gave me that confidence to then go and really make this happen."
Sam finished her program and became a pastry chef in 2010. Her experience in culinary school helped prepare her to build up the other side of OatMeals' menu. "I figured that if I couldn't sell somebody a bowl of oatmeal, then I could sell them a really good oatmeal cookie or an oatmeal muffin." That's why you'll find a diverse range of house-made bakery snacks on OatMeals' menu, too, from oatmeal cookies, muffins, and scones to chokladbollar, or Swedish chocolate oat balls.
Sam says that her advice to operators looking to turn their passions into niche businesses is to ask plenty of questions. "Now when people come to me for business advice, I say, 'Go ask a lot of questions to other, similar operators, because you really need to do your homework and get some hard numbers from people.'"
Nearly five years after opening, the future looks bright for OatMeals: Sam has begun franchising her business and wants to see OatMeals locations across the country and abroad. "I think that there's a place for oatmeal in airports, college campuses, and in all major cities."
Beyond her role as the owner of OatMeals, Sam is also Quaker Oats' "Creative Oatmeal Ambassador," a title that denotes her dedication to sharing the joy that an imaginative bowl of oatmeal can bring. Her first cookbook is in the works.
Our interview with Chef Sam Stephens was first published in 2017. In January 2021, OatMeals' physical location closed due to COVID-19 impacts, but its online shop remained open.