Cathy Dobson
Sarnia’s Moe Deol is a busy guy with three local businesses already on the go.
But he says he couldn’t pass up yet another business opportunity when a friend told him about the rapidly expanding Freshii restaurant franchise.
“I really like the brand, the look and the people,” says Deol, eyeing the mid-afternoon lineup at the counter of his latest venture.
Freshii is a Toronto-based chain offering healthy options that range from salads, wraps and burritos to frozen yoghurt, juices and smoothies.
The concept is based on founder Matthew Corrin’s belief that consumers are looking for healthier fast food choices. His company calls it “health-casual” eating. Ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, says Deol, and orders can be customized to suit many kinds of diets including gluten-free and vegan.
Since Corrin, at age 23, started the first Freshii in downtown Toronto 11 years ago, the company is on target to have 300 locations in more than 80 cities around the world by the end of this year.
Sarnia’s Freshii opened Sept. 26 at the corner of Lochiel and Christina streets, across from the public art gallery downtown.
The franchise’s rapid growth is a reflection of its appeal to the millennial crowd, according to Deol. He already has plans to open a second Freshii location on London Road.
“In Sarnia, we have a lot of young professionals who have been exposed to Freshii in larger cities like Toronto; they’ve come back here and they recognize it,” Deol said.
“This new generation of 15-to-35- year-olds cares about how their food is being prepared and that ingredients are fresh.
“And I think more people in general are thinking about healthy eating but they want the convenience of fast food.”
Fixed-ingredient menu items like a cobb salad cost $9.79. Meals like the chain’s unique Oaxaca bowl with brown rice, kale, avocado, beet slaw, black beans, corn, salsa, wontons, lime and spicy yogurt sauce are $7.99 each.
Burritos range from $6.99 to $7.99 and unique items like superfood soup with veggie broth, quinoa, kale, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery and red onions, sells for $7.49.
Breakfast includes grilled egg pockets for $3.99 and bowls of homemade oatmeal, like a blueberry crumble for $3.79.
You can dine in at the 30-seat restaurant or take-out. Freshii has online ordering where customers can pick up their customized orders without picking up the phone.
Deol, who has owned and operated Sarnia’s Crabby Joe’s restaurant for the past 14 years, and began franchising his own Kokomo’s Suntanning & Swimwear stores in the 1990s, says he likes a lot of the details the Freshii brand offers.
For instance, all of the disposable cutlery is made from potato starch and is completely biodegradable.
“The head office is innovative,” says Deol. “They even have a VP of culture that pays attention to how we treat our employees.”
Eleven full-time and part-time staff work at the Sarnia store.
It’s located at 195 Christina Street North and open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends. Details are online at freshii.com.
Got an interesting business story? Contact Cathy Dobson at [email protected] or 226-932-0985.