Everytable, a mission-driven food company that fights for food justice by making nutritious, fresh, and delicious food accessible and affordable for all, has announced its commitment in collaboration with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
Everytable founder Sam Polk, together with Social Equity Franchise candidate Dee Adimora attended this momentous conference held by the White House for the first time in fifty years with a goal of “ending hunger, improving nutrition and physical activity, and reducing diet-related diseases and disparities.”
Adimora spoke on the panel “Making Healthy Choices Easy: Why improving food environments matters” where she shared her experience with hunger, and the barriers against making healthy food choices as a former fast food worker. Adimora worked in the fast food industry for 30 years before she joined Everytable: “I ate where I worked,” which eventually led to a surprising diabetes diagnosis. Now, Adimora shares her experiences with Everytable customers looking for a healthy alternative. Adimora focused her message on access and the critical role that affordability plays in providing more nutritious food choices. “We can have the access but if it’s not affordable for everyone it doesn’t make sense,” said Adimora.
In conjunction with the White House conference, Everytable announced that Store Managers like Adimora will be able to own their own franchise location. Everytable’s innovative Social Equity Franchise Program fosters economic empowerment among entrepreneurs from marginalized communities by providing a clear and supported path to business ownership. Serving as a model approach to franchising, a system largely devoid of diversity and representation by people of color and women, the program provides critical access to capital for qualifying graduates plus in-depth, hands-on training to empower and prepare entrepreneurs to operate Everytable restaurants in their own communities. Everytable commits to expanding this program beyond Los Angeles with an intention to invest $100 million in providing financial capital, training, and mentorship to aspiring small business owners across the country.
“My personal definition of success is when Dee and thousands of other talented entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds grow wealth through owning multiple Everytable franchises. We will be closing the racial wealth gap, and promoting food equity, one person at a time,” says Sam Polk, CEO, Everytable.
Addressing affordability, Everytable commits to expanding access to underserved residents by ensuring that at least half of the next 100 Everytable retail locations will serve low food access areas and that all retail locations participate in the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program, where available. Even as inflation drives up food costs, Everytable will keep meals priced affordably between $5-10. Additionally, Everytable is re-launching its Pay It Forward program allowing guests to purchase a meal for someone in need, now in partnership with nonprofits in every market where Everytable stores are located.
Additionally, Everytable commits to growing its pilot program of medically tailored meals currently only in Los Angeles County across the country to include additional health plans and providers. Everytable will also work to add dietician-approved menu items across all business channels including stores and e-commerce to meet the nutritional needs of people with diet-related disease, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic kidney disease.
“We believe access to affordable and nutritious food is a human right,” says Sam Polk, CEO, Everytable. “By expanding these programs we’re continuing the fight for food justice, and supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating.”
A revolutionary ready-to-eat concept with meals priced according to each zip code’s median income, and chef-prepared meals made from scratch in a central commissary kitchen, Everytable’s business model drastically reduces the cost of standard restaurant operations. Everytable has made an immense impact on underserved communities growing to 44 storefronts total, including over 25 stores opened in 2022 alone and is on track to finish the year with 54 locations total. In 2021, the company expanded beyond the greater Los Angeles area into Orange County and San Diego County. This spring, Everytable launched its e-commerce delivery service in the Bay Area with plans to open storefronts in the Bay Area in 2023. Furthering the brand’s expansion beyond Southern California, Everytable also opened its first four New York locations this spring, with a total of six stores slated to open by the end of the year.
