Freshii Launches First Restaurant on S. Wacker
Quick Nutrition For People on the Go
CHICAGO (June 5, 2008). When hunger hits, most people grab the closest thing in sight, usually a stale bag of chips or a rogue candy bar from last Halloween. For those of us who would rather forego the candy – and the guilt – Freshii has arrived to save the day. The healthy salad, soup and snack concept was created by a former fashion publicist who traded dishing on fashion for designing healthy meals and snacks - using over 70 fresh ingredients as his muse. Founder and CEO, Matthew Corrin, 26 and a self confessed “health addict”, wanted to share his love for fresh food with the world by creating a convenient destination for custom healthy meals and snacks, served in a hip and environmentally friendly atmosphere. The first Freshii is scheduled to open at 311 S. Wacker on June 16, with three more under development—including Block 37 slated for a spring 2009 opening.
Like creating the perfect outfit, the menu at Freshii consists of head to toe choices and deems them either “24/7” (super healthy), “balanced” (good fats and proteins) or “splurge” (so tasty it’s only allowed in moderation). Each choice, ranging from breakfast to dinner fare, lists exact calories and nutritional information to help move customers through the meal designing process. Step one: Choose your style - a salad, salad wraps, fresh bowls and soups; Step two: choose your toppings - your choice of lean proteins and just about any vegetable you can imagine; and finally, choose your flavor - a mix of heart-healthy low fat dressings and “splurge” dressings like chunky blue cheese. According to Corrin,
“I wanted to give people healthy food with options so that they can design a meal that fits with their individual tastes and lifestyle.”
The lettuce isn’t the only thing that’s green at Freshii. According to Corrin, they are on a mission to educate others on how they can be eco-friendly in their everyday life, aptly called “Mission Green”: “We do everything we can to maintain an economically sustainable restaurant. From using recyclable, post-consumer packaging to biodegradable bowls and recycled napkins…we also offer free filtered water for customers to fill their own reusable water bottles and we always ask our customers if they want a bag instead of assuming – it saves about a hundred bags a day. We pretty much do whatever we can to help whenever we can.”
More About Freshii:
At the age of 23, Matthew Corrin moved from New York City to Toronto to open his first store, formerly named Lettuce Eatery, in Canada in 2005 to lines that wrapped around the corner. After two years of building his business in Canada he is transitioning those Lettuce Eatery stores to reflect the United States name, Freshii. When asked why he chose to change the name from “Lettuce Eatery” in Canada to “Freshii” in the United States, Corrin says, “We are not just a salad place, we want to be known as the most convenient choice for healthy meals and snacks served quickly.” Chicago is the first of many American cities included in his expansion plans to introduce the concept. Freshii offers more than 70 fresh ingredients to choose from and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Freshii consists of company-owned and franchised locations in Canada and the United States. In 2005, Canada’s Freshii (formerly Lettuce Eatery) won the Cadillac Fairview’s prestigious “ARC Award” (Achievement in new Retail Concepts) for Best New Retail Concept in Canada, joining an impressive list of past winners.
For more information on Freshii, visit www.eatfreshii.com, for photography or to set up an interview/lunch with Matthew Corrin, please contact Kim at k101 Agency.
Media Contact:
Kim Lichtenstein
k101 Agency – Chicago
o. 312.265.8373
e. kim@k101agency.com
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