There’s a lot of goodness going around at Chicago’s favorite stop for nutrition-conscious people on the go. Freshii is gearing up to honor its four-year anniversary in Chicago with a celebration from June 11-17 at all six locations.
According to CEO Matthew Corrin, Freshii was created in response to a need for convenient, healthy food options.
From June 11-17, in celebration of its anniversary and to express gratitude to its Chicago fans, Freshii is offering Buy One Get One Free breakfast options (like Spinach & Goat Cheese Wraps and low-fat Yogurt Parfaits) before 11 a.m.
Customers that drop by after 2 p.m. are treated to a free frozen yogurt with the purchase of one. To keep both body and budget in balance they will also have $5 lunch specials, featuring a different deal each day.
Freshii will also be collecting donations and informing customers about Imerman Angels, a nonprofit organization providing personalized connections that enable one-on-none support among cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers.
“Freshii operates in an emerging industry we call health-casual,” Corrin says. “It has all the elements of fast casual (high quality food that's quick and convenient) with an added focus on health and wellness. We wanted to give people nutritious food with plenty of options so they can design a meal that fits their individual tastes and busy, urban lifestyles.”
Corrin was named Ernst & Young's 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year and was recently featured in Crain’s “Top 40 under 40.”
Freshii, whose U.S. operations are based in Chicago, opened its inaugural location at 311 S. Wacker in June 2008. Since then, it has added five more locations to the area.
David Grossman, a Chicago native and Freshii’s first master franchisor in the U.S., attributes much of its success to his hometown. With experience working with the top brands in the country and having opened 120 Subways in Chicago, he has emerged as a definitive talent in the restaurant industry and the local real estate market.
“I traveled the country looking for the next big thing and looked at many different concepts … Freshii had, by far, the most potential,” Grossman says. “I knew with the right location, the best team, and local food sourcing, we could make it a huge success.”
Grossman’s intuition was right. The Freshii store at 200 W. Monroe St. in the Loop is the highest volume store in the chain. Out of 50 stores across the world, the six Chicago stores are all in the top 10 highest grossing locations in the company.
In addition to their focus on health and wellness, Freshii also takes a stand against traditional industry practices such as excess packaging, heavy energy consumption, and greasy processed meals through its Mission Green initiative. All packaging and materials contain quickly biodegradable vegetable starches; stores are built smaller to use fewer materials and consume less energy; and stores rely on energy-efficient appliances and natural cleaning products.
“We are very connected to our food sources, which mostly come from the Midwest, and buy only from environmentally friendly farms that pay and treat their workers fairly,” Corrin says.
In addition, Freshii likes to support likeminded local businesses and serves Chicago-based Metropolis Coffee, Greater Than sports beverage, and Skinny Pop popcorn, and uses Sugar & Spice Bakery in Evanston for all their baked goods.
