Café Yumm! has opened in Neff Place Center at 1500 NE Cushing Drive near St. Charles Medical Center. This second Bend, Oregon, location is also owned by Karli Foster and Ellen Chamberlain, who opened their first Café Yumm! restaurant in December 2007 in The Old Mill District.
Karli Foster began working at Café Yumm! in Eugene, Oregon, as a crew member. She quickly advanced to manager and then moved to take control of Café Yumm! in Bend. She eventually became an owner of that restaurant with original franchisee Ellen Chamberlain. This is the second store that the pair owns.
“Many guests told us they wanted more choices near the hospital. The Old Mill location has grown each year since opening, and since more people are looking for natural, higher quality foods that are grown closer to home, we felt the timing was perfect to expand into East Bend near the hospital,” Foster says.
Café Yumm! is famous for Yumm! Bowls, which can be served with or without meat, and are made to satisfy those with a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or other specialty diet.
Guests can customize their Yumm! Bowl from a list of options like certified organic black or red beans, organic brown rice, or Thai jasmine rice, All-natural chicken, nitrite-free turkey, organic tofu or tempeh, fresh avocado, tomato, black olives, Tillamook Cheddar cheese, sour cream or organic yogurt, cilantro, and organic mild red salsa. Each bowl can be layered with Yumm! Sauce, Jalapeño-Sesame Salsa, Asian Slaw Dressing, Chipotle Chili, or Chilean Zucchini.
“I am so very thankful for our guests. Not only do they value our ‘Beautiful, Delicious, Nourishing’ food, they also value our ‘Triple Bottom Line’ philosophy. Our restaurant was built to LEED for Retail Silver standards,” Foster says. “We built with re-milled lumber, recycled newspapers compressed into counter tops, agricultural waste compressed into decorative building boards, zero VOC paint, and LED lighting to reduce electrical use.”
She says it was the food and business philosophy that first drew her attention and which she is so proud to have brought to Bend. Café Yumm! also serves bentos, wraps, and Wrappits! cookies. Beer and wine are also available. Both restaurants are open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
