Fresh Choice: Difference between revisions
m ce |
No edit summary |
||
| (10 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:Freshchoice.JPG|thumb|300px|right|A Fresh Choice restaurant.]] |
[[Image:Freshchoice.JPG|thumb|300px|right|A Fresh Choice restaurant.]] |
||
'''Founded:''' 1986 |
|||
{{Distinguish|Fresh Choice Supermarkets}} |
|||
'''Fresh Choice''' is a chain of [[buffet]]-style [[restaurant chain|restaurants]] located 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 and, as of 2006, the chain has twenty-nine locations. Corporate headquarters are in [[Newark, California]]. There are also three "Express" locations. |
|||
'''CEO:''' Sandy Boyd |
|||
Fresh Choice markets itself as a healthier alternative to [[fast food]] restaurants and its promotional material makes reference to menu options including low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat diets. Fresh Choice's most prominent feature is a large [[salad bar]] with prepared salads, salad ingredients, dressings, and condiments. Other sections include self-service soup, a counter with breads, muffins, pizza, pasta with various sauces and a desserts such as fruit, puddings and soft-serve ice cream. Fountain beverages are self-serve and offer unlimited refills. Many locations also offer beer, wine, and bottled soft drinks. |
|||
'''Headquarters:''' Newark, California |
|||
The company is owned by Crescent Real Estate and Cedarlane Natural Foods post bankruptcy. The company most recently declared bankruptcy in 2004 after expansion into the Los Angeles market failed, and a new expensive state of the art restaurant put into the Westfield Valley Fair Mall failed to take off (averaging approximately 100 guests per day for the first several months it was open per the manager at the time). In all, it went from over 50 locations at the beginning of 2004 to the point it is at now, including closing several new locations in Texas, all but one of its locations in Washington, all its locations in Southern California, and several throughout the Bay Area and the Central Valley. Since that time the prices have continually elevated to the approximately $10.00 price point they are at now and many popular menu items have been removed including the classic garlic breadsticks, pastas (replaced by one meat sauce and one vegetable sauce with plain noodles), and others made seasonal only. |
|||
'''Industry''': Restaurant; Sustainable; Organic, Local & Seasonal Food, Vegetarian, Farm-to-Fork |
|||
Fresh Choice's major competitor is [[Sweet Tomatoes]] (known as Souplantation in Southern California). |
|||
'''Website''': www.freshchoice.com |
|||
== External links == |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
'''''Fresh Choice Restaurants''''' -- located in California, Washington, and Texas – |
|||
{{restaurant-stub}} |
|||
pioneered the concept of offering healthy great tasting food choices such as home |
|||
style soups, an extensive array of salads, freshly baked pizzas and breads. |
|||
Fresh Choice exists to provide an appealing and healthy alternative to the high |
|||
calorie, high fat offerings of the fast food empires which have precipitated an |
|||
epidemic of obesity and preventable disease in America. Fresh Choice believes the |
|||
healthy benefits of organic food and artisanal preparation can be made available to |
|||
families in much greater numbers and at much less cost than currently provided by |
|||
elite restaurants. |
|||
Fresh Choice does more than simply offer healthy choices; it also provides its |
|||
[[Category:Buffet restaurants]] |
|||
customers with easy-to-read nutritional information as to each dish’s ingredients, |
|||
[[Category:Companies established in 1986]] |
|||
calorie count and whether the dish is low in sodium, gluten free, vegetarian etc. |
|||
[[Category:Restaurants in California]] |
|||
The Fresh Choice website provides further information about the nutritional |
|||
[[Category:Companies based in Alameda County, California]] |
|||
benefits of its fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. |
|||
[[Category:Bakery/café restaurants]] |
|||
[[Category:Bakeries of the United States]] |
|||
'''Farm-to-Fork Purchasing Mission''' |
|||
Consistent with its Farm-to-Fork mission, Fresh Choice buys from local farmers |
|||
and producers, striving to use seasonal, local and organically grown produce. |
|||
Most recently, Fresh Choice has embarked on a plan to grow many of its own |
|||
vegetables with the first sowing of peas, lettuce and garlic in the fall 2009. |
|||
'''Environmental Record''' |
|||
Fresh Choice also works to protect the environment, implementing the most energy |
|||
efficient lighting, heating, cooling and cooking equipment in its restaurants and is |
|||
constantly evaluating its production systems to maximize energy efficiency. Fresh Choice is |
|||
enrolled in PG&E’s Climate Smart Program, through which Fresh |
|||
Choice makes voluntary, charitable contributions that fund greenhouse gas capture |
|||
and reduction projects, such as forest preservation programs, that make its |
|||
Northern California restaurants' energy usage carbon neutral. By joining the |
|||
program, Fresh Choice will offset more than 8.8 million pounds of greenhouse gases |
|||
every year, equivalent to taking 731 cars off the road each year. The company will |
|||
donate approximately $43,000 annually to balance out the carbon emissions |
|||
produced by its restaurants' energy use. Fresh Choice CEO Sandy Boyd calls the |
|||
program a simple, local solution to a global problem: "The ClimateSmart program is |
|||
an easy solution to an ongoing problem. Our contributions not only balance out our |
|||
restaurants' greenhouse gas emissions, but also help preserve the environment for |
|||
future generations." |
|||
'''Community Involvement''' |
|||
Fresh Choice’s commitment to promoting the health of the planet includes |
|||
sponsorship and participation in events such as 2009 Earth Day in Sacramento, California International Marathon and health fairs. |
|||
In addition, Fresh Choice has a school nutrition program – Kid’s Tours -- whereby |
|||
classes of students tour the restaurant, participate in a fun and informative |
|||
nutritional program about the food pyramid, receiving a Fresh Choice Award at the |
|||
end of the tour. Fresh Choice also sponsors a “Lettuce’ Read Together” program, |
|||
which rewards students who read five books. |
|||
'''References:''' |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Newark-CA/Fresh-Choice-Restaurant/ |
|||
116000310140 |
|||
http://www.pge.com/climatesmartfreshchoice/ |
|||
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208282650116&index=1 |
|||
http://www.sacmag.com/media/Sacramento-Magazine/August-2008/2008-Diners- |
|||
Choice-Awards/ |
|||
r |
|||
Revision as of 22:26, 16 December 2009
Founded: 1986
CEO: Sandy Boyd
Headquarters: Newark, California
Industry: Restaurant; Sustainable; Organic, Local & Seasonal Food, Vegetarian, Farm-to-Fork
Website: www.freshchoice.com
Fresh Choice Restaurants -- located in California, Washington, and Texas – pioneered the concept of offering healthy great tasting food choices such as home style soups, an extensive array of salads, freshly baked pizzas and breads. Fresh Choice exists to provide an appealing and healthy alternative to the high calorie, high fat offerings of the fast food empires which have precipitated an epidemic of obesity and preventable disease in America. Fresh Choice believes the healthy benefits of organic food and artisanal preparation can be made available to families in much greater numbers and at much less cost than currently provided by elite restaurants.
Fresh Choice does more than simply offer healthy choices; it also provides its customers with easy-to-read nutritional information as to each dish’s ingredients, calorie count and whether the dish is low in sodium, gluten free, vegetarian etc. The Fresh Choice website provides further information about the nutritional benefits of its fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.
Farm-to-Fork Purchasing Mission
Consistent with its Farm-to-Fork mission, Fresh Choice buys from local farmers and producers, striving to use seasonal, local and organically grown produce. Most recently, Fresh Choice has embarked on a plan to grow many of its own vegetables with the first sowing of peas, lettuce and garlic in the fall 2009.
Environmental Record
Fresh Choice also works to protect the environment, implementing the most energy efficient lighting, heating, cooling and cooking equipment in its restaurants and is constantly evaluating its production systems to maximize energy efficiency. Fresh Choice is enrolled in PG&E’s Climate Smart Program, through which Fresh Choice makes voluntary, charitable contributions that fund greenhouse gas capture and reduction projects, such as forest preservation programs, that make its Northern California restaurants' energy usage carbon neutral. By joining the program, Fresh Choice will offset more than 8.8 million pounds of greenhouse gases every year, equivalent to taking 731 cars off the road each year. The company will donate approximately $43,000 annually to balance out the carbon emissions produced by its restaurants' energy use. Fresh Choice CEO Sandy Boyd calls the program a simple, local solution to a global problem: "The ClimateSmart program is an easy solution to an ongoing problem. Our contributions not only balance out our restaurants' greenhouse gas emissions, but also help preserve the environment for future generations."
Community Involvement
Fresh Choice’s commitment to promoting the health of the planet includes sponsorship and participation in events such as 2009 Earth Day in Sacramento, California International Marathon and health fairs.
In addition, Fresh Choice has a school nutrition program – Kid’s Tours -- whereby classes of students tour the restaurant, participate in a fun and informative nutritional program about the food pyramid, receiving a Fresh Choice Award at the end of the tour. Fresh Choice also sponsors a “Lettuce’ Read Together” program, which rewards students who read five books.
References:
www.freshchoice.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Newark-CA/Fresh-Choice-Restaurant/ 116000310140 http://www.pge.com/climatesmartfreshchoice/ http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208282650116&index=1 http://www.sacmag.com/media/Sacramento-Magazine/August-2008/2008-Diners- Choice-Awards/ r