After volunteering at a youth sports fundraiser in June, Curtis McGee scoured U.S. Highway 19 for a bite to eat. His only requirement: the food had to be baked or grilled.
Curtis, a conditioning coach and trainer, drove past Arby’s, Taco Bell and KFC before pulling into Fresh Go Wild Market & Natural Grill.
There, his needs and taste were satisfied.
“Very yummy,” McGee said between bites of his Spicy Monterey Chicken Wrap.
Fresh Go Wild Market & Natural Grill in St. Petersburg, Fla., which offers healthy alternatives to fast food, will celebrate its one-year anniversary June 28, 2007. Its cook-to-order menu features burgers, sandwiches, salads, take-home dinners and more made with locally grown produce, Tampa-baked breads and all-natural meats that do not contain growth hormones or antibiotics.
Fresh Go also has a drive-through window, catering services and an in-house market.
First-time customer Joe St. Pierre considers the prices to be “a little on the high side,” but said he is willing to pay more for quality. St. Pierre, who grew up on a farm in Maine, appreciates the fresh product that Fresh Go offers.
For instance, the basic burger is $6.95. Fries are $2 more. St. Pierre’s friend, Denise Sammons, ordered the Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Wrap: $6.95. But it was worth it, Sammons said.
“It’s crunchy and juicy and hit the spot,” she said.
More customers like St. Pierre and Sammons are looking for healthy food. Organic items and locally grown produce are growing in popularity at restaurants, according to National Restaurant Association research. A 2007 survey found that 71 percent of adults are trying to eat more healthfully in restaurants than they were two years ago.
Fresh Go is one of several area restaurants touting healthy fast food options. Tampa-born Evos, which has a location at 2321 Fourth St. N, pitches itself as a “burger, fries and shake restaurant” that uses all-natural meats, airbaked fries with less fat than traditional fries and shakes made with milk from free-range cows. Evos, which has two other Florida locations and one in Nevada, launched in 1994. Evos’ co-owners recently sold the rights for 107 stores to be developed in 12 states out West and 21 in North Carolina and the Atlanta metropolitan area over the next five years.
Evos and Fresh Go have similar menus, but don’t see themselves as competitors.
Evos co-owner Dino Lambridis supports the emergence of other health-oriented restaurants because they benefit the community and open up the market.
“We don’t look at competitors,” he said. “We are who we are.”
Schulte does not believe Fresh Go has any competitors in the market right now.
“As far as trying to reach mainstream America with the product and the price points we are offering, from sandwiches to gourmet-level prepared dinners, I don’t know anyone else who is doing that.”
With a year of business under her belt, Fresh Go owner Jolene Schulte is searching for a second restaurant location in Pinellas County. Since she is still in the negotiation phase, Schulte would not discuss details of the sites she is considering. She hopes to open four more sites in the Tampa Bay area within five years.
Finding suppliers that provide all-natural foods in bulk has been a challenge for Schulte, who said the industry gears its products more toward retailers than restaurants. To keep prices close to mainstream and compensate for the higher cost of all-natural products, Schulte and her employees are vigilant about keeping waste to a minimum.
“A lot of times restaurants have high spoilage,” Schulte said. “We’ll run out before we over-order. We try very hard to estimate exactly what we need.”
Although one-third of small businesses fail within two years of opening, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Schulte is confident that Fresh Go has staying power. Sales have risen steadily since opening day and customer feedback has been positive, she said.
Schulte started Fresh Go as an answer to her own personal and family needs for healthy food. When she turned 40, she became more aware of what she was putting in her body. Between working full-time and shuttling her 11-year-old son to soccer practice, Schulte found little time to prepare healthy meals for her family.
Fresh Go’s role in the community has stretched beyond providing healthier food options, according to Sheila Bertoncini, a member of the Kenwood Neighborhood Association. Bertoncini meets at Fresh Go once a month with her colleagues at the American Reverse Mortgage Corporation. In exchange for free access to a back meeting room, American Reverse Mortgage Corporation’s monthly meetings bring regular business to Fresh Go.
Before Fresh Go, 600 34th Street N was home to a Chinese restaurant and a cafe. Schulte drew inspiration for Fresh Go’s design and decor from a cruise to Italy.
Tamarah Walcott, 17, of Jordan Park has worked at Fresh Go since its opening day. Her job has made her more aware of healthy eating habits.
“My friends are not into this kind of stuff because they feel it’s too expensive, but I’d rather pay more and eat healthy than pay less and die,” she said.
Chris Rose, a personal trainer and repeat Fresh Go customer, said he does not think that the health food craze is a passing trend. As a trainer, he’s noticed more people taking responsibility for their health, rather than passively following the doctor’s orders.
Fresh Go chef Aramist Thomas, who has worked in the restaurant business for more than 11 years, said that the appeal of cheaper, more familiar fast food options may be hard for some to give up.
“It does have staying power if the public is serious about what they are putting into their body,” he said. “And that’s a big if.”
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