Before Evonne and Don Varady introduced Clean Eatz to their small community of Hillsboro, Illinois, there were only two quick-service restaurants—both fast food. During one of her kickboxing classes at the local gym, Evonne overheard a group of people frustrated because they couldn’t meet their health goals. This sparked her passion to bring change to her community.
Evonne worked as an X-ray technician, and Don was a carpenter by trade, but their growing interest in health and fitness led them to start a meal-prepping side hustle. With increasing demand in the community for healthy dining alternatives, the couple decided to launch Clean Eatz, a dine-in, grab-and-go concept that also offered catering and weekly online meal plan selections.
“At first, we only attracted gym rats to the restaurant, but over the years, our customer base has evolved to include anyone who wants to embark on a healthier lifestyle,” Evonne says. “We started catering to high schoolers, busy mothers, the elderly—anyone seeking to live and eat better.”

The Clean Eatz menu features fresh, seasonal ingredients, offering bowls, burgers, wraps, flatbreads, protein drinks, and specialized “Makin’ Muscle” selections. As the brand expands its reach and product offerings, Evonne is committed to maintaining high-quality standards while keeping prices affordable. A key aspect of the concept is the emphasis on wellness education that accompanies the products.
“Our whole business is dedicated to people… Clean Eatz is a lifestyle. Anybody can make chicken and broccoli, but we’re providing a well-rounded experience of education, nutrition, and inspiration,” Evonne adds. “As we grow, we’re focused on maintaining our quality and affordability to make the biggest impact in households.”
Franchising was a turning point for the brand. Since introducing a franchise pipeline in 2015, Clean Eatz has grown to over 100 units in 23 states, with an additional 87 restaurants in development. For Evonne and Don, this expansion presented their biggest learning curve.
“It’s been a whirlwind for us, but we’ve leaned on our mentors and learned to stay humble and leave our egos at the door,” Evonne says. “Neither of us comes from a traditional business background, but we’ve worked relentlessly on our systems and procedures to find the right path to franchising.”
The brand’s success has also been driven by its ability to balance five revenue streams, including brick-and-mortar locations and an online direct-to-consumer marketplace.
“A lot of our competitors are single-minded, focusing on one area, but we offer multiple avenues for our customers to experience Clean Eatz,” Evonne says. “Customers can dine in our café, cater to their businesses, grab a meal to go, or have meals delivered to their doorstep. You can never get bored with our brand because there are so many ways to engage with it.”
The Clean Eatz “We Change Livez” challenge, now in its seventh year, encourages communities to adopt healthier lifestyles. The grand prize is $25,000 and a year of free meals. Additionally, the brand hosts a wellness retreat in North Carolina, where customers spend three days learning about fitness and nutrition.
“Education is so important to us. We want to make sure our customers have the mindset they need to live healthier lives, and with so many diseases linked to wellness, we ensure that our franchise owners know how to support their customers,” Evonne says. “We designed our menu to avoid focusing on any one diet or trend because the key is continuous education and lifestyle changes through food.”
As Clean Eatz continues to enter new markets and educate communities on the importance of health and wellness, the brand remains focused on making positive life changes. Stories like John from Augusta, Georgia, who lost 200 pounds and survived a brain tumor, or Wendell, the 2021 “We Change Livez” challenge winner who now works on the Clean Eatz corporate team, motivate Evonne to push her better-for-you brand toward a brighter future.