In a food service landscape dominated by traditional fast food, FRESH Healthy Café has established itself as a pioneer in the health-focused quick-service restaurant space. Offering smoothies, juices, bowls, wraps and more, the franchise has tapped into changing consumer preferences while creating an accessible business model for franchisees. By Tamara Rahoumi
How One Restaurant Franchise is Changing Fast Food Culture
In a food service landscape dominated by traditional fast food, FRESH Healthy Café has established itself as a pioneer in the health-focused quick-service restaurant space. Offering smoothies, juices, bowls, wraps and more, the franchise has tapped into changing consumer preferences while creating an accessible business model for franchisees.
“I could see a shift in the industry when it comes to people, our consumers, looking for options,” explained James Powell, director of operations, about his decision to join the brand in its earliest days. “FRESH was super intriguing because, at the time, there weren’t a lot of companies doing a healthy lifestyle concept as a quick service.”
This early positioning has proven to be a wise decision. While numerous health-focused concepts have since emerged, FRESH maintains its competitive edge through operational flexibility and multiple revenue streams.
“There’s juice bars, there’s smoothie shops, there’s salad and bowl places, but the way FRESH is put together as a franchise, we can do all of those things efficiently in one location,” said Powell.
According to Powell, FRESH Healthy Café’s operational design also creates a low barrier to entry for prospective franchisees.
“Without the need for fryers or grills, essentially we can go into any existing space. There’s not a lot of expensive builds and construction to invest in the franchise itself,” he explained.
This flexibility has allowed the company to expand beyond traditional storefronts into diverse spaces including sports venues, hospitals and airports – locations where healthy options have historically been limited.
Recognizing changing consumer behavior, particularly in the years after the 2020 global pandemic, FRESH Healthy Café has also continuously evolved its business model to meet customers where they are. The company has embraced digital ordering, third-party delivery, ghost kitchens and scaled-down “FRESH Express” versions that can fit in nontraditional locations.
This responsiveness and evolution of the brand have helped it cement its success over the years, as has its ethos of great service which is reflected in how the brand vets prospective operators and employees.
“Experience in the food service industry has some benefits because, at the end of the day, it is a restaurant. You have to manage labor, food costs and a team,” said Powell. “But we have found that the people part is the most important. When we’re looking for team members, it’s more about personality and customer service skills than restaurant experience.”
Beyond the business fundamentals and growth potential, many operators find fulfillment in the impact they’re making on community health. When asked about the most appealing thing about owning a FRESH Healthy Café, Powell didn’t hesitate to share that sentiment.
“We’re not just making paninis and smoothies, we’re changing people’s lives. If we can get a consumer that would eat out three times a week at a fast food restaurant to change that habit once a week and have something more nutritious, it’s changing their life,” said Powell.
For entrepreneurs seeking both financial return and meaningful impact with a powerful sense of purpose, FRESH Healthy Café presents an opportunity to be part of the change in fast food culture, one nutritious meal at a time.
Tamara Rahoumi