Page 49 - BWM Dec 2012

December 2012 | Business World Magazine | 49
FRESH Restaurants is an innovator and one of the
true leaders in the booming healthy fast-casual food
industry. They are perfectly positioned to provide
customers with an extraordinary health experience
unlike anything they have ever tasted.
FRESH Restaurants opened in 2001 after
CEO Jeff Parker noticed other somewhat healthy
concepts doing very well and saw a major void in the
marketplace for fresh and healthy food. He also en-
visioned a brand being able to offer much healthier
foods in a much better environmentally friendly en-
vironment. “I just fell in love with the idea,” he says.
Shortly after opening FRESH Restaurants in
Canada, Parker and his team starting receiving many
inquiries from potential franchisees that led to the
introduction of their brand in the United States
and internationally. The brand has only grown since
then.
Parker credits the growth of the brand to the
integrity of the company and its franchise partners,
and the high quality of food they produce, which is
100 percent healthy and made to order – and pack-
aged in eco-friendly materials. Within the health
food market, there are not really any true competi-
tors, he explains. “All the other chains now are serv-
ing moderately healthy or very unhealthy food and
it’s all served in plastic, Styrofoam or paper-packag-
ing products,” he says.