Fresh Choice
 | |
| Former type | Private |
|---|---|
| Genre | Restaurant |
| Founded | Sunnyvale, California, USA 1986 |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Emeryville, California, USA |
| Key people | Sandy Boyd, CEO |
Fresh Choice was a chain of buffet-style restaurants which operated in California, Washington, and Texas under the names Fresh Choice, Fresh Plus, Fresh Choice Express, and Zoopa. The first restaurant was opened in Sunnyvale, California in 1986 by Martin Culver, Brad Wells, and Ken Oppeltz. The group took over the former Calaway's Bar and Grill in a small shopping center on El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. Opening the first restaurant for under $140,000 using funds from Martin Culver's home equity line of credit, a cash investment from Brad Wells, and the restaurant background of Ken Oppeltz, the restaurant was an immediate success. The lines out the door prompted the trio to quickly search for a second location which was opened in the Moffett Business Park. Shortly thereafter, the group was approached by a venture capital group and raised several rounds of financing for expansion. Over a few years, Fresh Choice expanded to over 50 locations in California, Texas, and Washington.
Fresh Choice marketed itself as a healthier alternative to fast food restaurants with reference to menu options that include choices relatively low in fat, carbohydrates, and/or calories. All restaurants featured 50 foot salad bars, 6 freshly made soups daily, artisan pizza, and breads.
Fresh Choice obtained its produce from local farmers, and tries to use seasonal, local and organically grown produce. Starting in 2009, the company has embarked on a plan to grow many of its own vegetables. The Sacramento Magazine Diners' Choice Awards voted Fresh Choice as the restaurant with the most health-conscious menu in 2008 and 2009.[1][2]
Restaurants used energy-efficient lighting, heating, cooling and cooking equipment, to minimize impact on the environment.[citation needed] Fresh Choice were enrolled in PG&E's Climate Smart Program, through which Fresh Choice makes voluntary, charitable contributions that fund greenhouse gas capture and reduction projects to make its Northern California restaurants' energy usage carbon neutral.[3] Additionally, Fresh Choice sponsors and participates in events such as 2009 Earth Day in Sacramento, California International Marathon and health fairs.[4]
Fresh Choice's major competitor was Sweet Tomatoes (known as Souplantation in Southern California).
Fresh Choice recently closed approximately half its locations. According to the Capitola-Soquel Patch[5] Fresh Choice will be re-organizing the restaurants into a new concept of à la carte fare and charging people by the pound for their salads. They will also have a beer and wine bar, a breakfast bar, and updated seating. Some locations that had opened as recently as the past two years have already closed and one location which was supposed to open in Stockton has been permanently shelved according to the company.
On December 15, 2012, it was reported that all Fresh Choice locations would be closing permanently, and that two of them in the Bay Area had been re-opened under the name "California Fresh".[6]
References
- ↑ "2008 Diners' Choice Awards - Sacramento Magazine - August 2008 - Sacramento, California". Sacmag.com. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
- ↑ "2009 Subscribers' Choice Dining Awards - Sacramento Magazine - August 2009 - Sacramento, California". Sacmag.com. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
- ↑
- ↑ "2009 Sponsors - Sacramento Earth Day 2012". Sacramentoearthday.net. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
- ↑
- ↑ "Popular salad buffet Fresh Choice goes dark". mercurynews.com. Retrieved 2012-12-15.