The Rise of CoreLife Eatery Vegetarian Restaurant Chain
Awareness of the benefits of healthy eating is on the rise, but until recent years, there have been few really great options for the health conscious to dine out. As the demand for healthier cuisine has risen, albeit slowly, there have become more options for those who want to enjoy an evening out, catch a quick bite to eat at lunch or pick up prepare food on the road. There haven’t been many good options for the health conscious and for some, eating out has The CoreLife Eatery is a Vegetarian restaurant chain that is making -it easier and more convenient for those observing healthy eating habits. If this sounds like a restaurant that might be suitable for your dining needs, read on to learn more about them, what they serve, where they’ve opened up shop and when they may be coming your way.
What is the CoreLife Eatery?
CoreLife is a unique restaurant offering foods that are suited to the nutritional needs of the body. They serve lunch and dinner with a build your own bowl format with choices of greens along with grains and delicious bone broths. This is just for starters though. The menu also consists of meals featuring entrees of grass fed beef, or Ahi tuna with mushrooms over brown nice and your choice of quinoa or noodles. CoreLife is a family restaurant with a kids’ menu featuring a variety of healthy soups, and a very unique dish with purple rice and a selection of choices to go with it from the fruit and vegetable food groups and lean protein. They offer vegan and gluten free choices which are reasonably priced between $5.95 and $12.95. What sets this restaurant apart is their commitment to high quality and the preservation of nutrients in the foods that are served. None of the restaurants use microwaves in their food preparation, nor do they use freezers. This gives you an idea of the freshness of each ingredient. You’d be hard pressed to find many restaurants that don’t have these appliances on board.
The history of the CoreLife Eatery
Corelife Eatery was founded by Larry Wilson, Todd Mansfield and John Caveny in 2015. The original restaurant was opened in North Syracuse, New York a a casual fast food restaurant aimed at those with an active lifestyle and concerned with healthy eating habits, even when grabbing fast food on the run. Each of the founding partners bring useful skills and professional experience to the table for this kind of venture. Mr. Mansfield is a veteran of the medical industry and he is the partner who specializes in optimal nutrition foods. Mr. Wilson is a restaurateur who brings operational experience from his career in the operation of 25 Moe’s Southwest Grill along with Hoopla franchise frozen yogurt shops. He knows the business thoroughly and what it takes to be successful in the ready to go food industry. Mr. Caveny and his family founded the Jo-Li-Me cafe and this was the restaurant site that was used for conversion to the very first CoreLife Eatery location.
The success of the CoreLife Eatery
The business which opened its doors in 2015 with just one location in Syracuse, New York has expanded dramatically within just four short years. There partners just recently celebrated the opening of their fiftieth location and CoreLife Eatery has restaurants open in 11 states. The Eatery is rapidly expanding its business while most new startups are still struggling to establish a name and make a profit. The business has been such a rampant success that there are plans currently in place to continue with this forward momentum and the plan is to expand to a total of 300 locations within the next five years. If they are able to maintain their current trajectory they should have no problem meeting this goal. If you’ve not yet heard of CoreLife Eatery or had the pleasure of trying it out for yourself, it’s likely that at some point in the near future one will spring up in a location near you. They’ve already hit a major milestone with the 50th opening and this is certainly a confidence builder for the partners as well as for the consumers who are thinking about giving it a try.
How is CoreLife able to expand so quickly?
We learned that CoreLife has an interesting business model that makes it much easier for them to expand the business. It’s certainly nothing new for restaurant chains, and it’s a way to bring new talent into the fold to expand into yet more states and communities with the CoreLife Eatery. They are accepting applications for franchise operators as one of the methods of expanding the restaurant chain. They do stipulate that the kind of operators they’re looking for must be experienced in running a franchised restaurant. The management team of CoreLife Eatery are in charge of the identification of sites, negotiating the building and all of the processes involved in the startup of a new restaurant in the chain as well as providing their franchisees with ongoing training and support for their operations.
How is the business doing so far?
According to Forbes magazine, CoreLife Eatery is bringing in an astronomical amount in revenue each year. Within the past year, the popular healthy eating restaurant chain has seen a revenue increase of 133 percent from 2018 figures. Of the 52 sites which are currently open, half of them are owned by the company and half are franchises. So far, the restaurant has established themselves in Utah, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and other states and they plan to increase their number by 20 by the end of 2019, still keeping the 300 mark in sight for the end of their initial 5 year expansion plan. Business is booming at all of the new locations that are opening and there is a high demand for more. The leadership is responding and at this pace, we expect them to become the next giant in the restaurant industry within the decade, but that’s if they continue moving forward at this explosive pace.
What is it that attracts people to CoreLife Eatery?
It’s obvious from the successful revenue of CoreLife Eatery that it’s catching on with the public, but just what is it that makes this restaurant so special? We reviewed their menu, their preparation methods, the pricing and the setup of their restaurant operation. The truth of the matter is that almost everything about CoreLife Eatery is different than the average fast food or sit down restaurant. The quality, pricing, business approach and concern for the health of their customers is unrivaled. We came to several conclusions as to why they stand out from the rest of the healthier lifestyle restaurants.
Responsible sourcing
We noticed that the company posts the notice that the ingredients which they use in their menu offerings are responsibly sourced. We saw this in the grass-fed beef selection. The proteins used in the dishes are free of hormones, antibiotics and any other type of potentially harmful or unhealthy substance. They source foods which are wholesome and healthy and this is an important detail for persons with health issues who absolutely must avoid preservatives, dyes and artificial flavorings. This is just one aspect of the business that shows the world that they are committed to helping fulfill good causes.
Cuisine of the highest quality
None of the ingredients used in the menu items have been frozen, nor have they been microwaved. This is another special attribute of CoreLife Eatery that sets them apart from the rest. All of the ingredients are very fresh, they have not been treated with unhealthy preservatives and they are prepared in the traditional manner upon ordering. You won’t get a pre-prepared meal which has been frozen then microwaved here. This is a practice that is not only a healthier approach to food preparation, it also ensures that the food will be fresh and have a better flavor and texture. These are real foods used in dishes developed in accordance with their nutritional value and they’re giving your body the boost of richly nutritious fuel that it needs in order for you to remain healthy. The sauces used are also made from scratch. They use organic foods which are GMO free. There is something for everyone at CoreLife Eatery, including kids’ plates, vegetarian and vegan menu selections, beef and other meat based cuisines and build your own salad bowls. All items are gluten free. These are just a few of the things that are offered on the menu, which is extensive. It’s not difficult to find something appealing and they also have an excellent selection of healthy beverages to choose from as well. You can even find special coffees on the menu.
Educating the public about food
CoreLife also educates people in a new way of looking at food. The menu provides nutritional information along with a calorie count, which is immensely popular for those who are counting calories or for those who trying to cut back on their daily caloric intake. They take all of the guesswork out of following a diet plan with the comprehensive information they provide. Food is fuel for the body, but it must also be a pleasure to consume and this restaurant does a good job of fulfilling both goals. Even if you’re new to healthy eating, you’ll find great information on the menu so you’ll know what you’re getting in terms of nutritional value before ordering. CoreLife is a smart option for anyone who is working with a nutritionist for either weight management or some other type of medical condition that requires monitoring of the diet.
Reasonable pricing
When we were reviewing the menu items, we couldn’t help but notice how reasonable the prices are. It is rare to find a restaurant that goes to such great lengths to hand prepare healthy foods, let along one that keeps their prices lower than most other restaurants in the area. Their low prices make eating healthy affordable. Most of us who buy organic and healthy whole foods know very well that the cost at the grocery store is much higher than the foods which are not labeled as organic or natural. We were highly impressed with the great prices for the salads, meals and beverages and it’s obvious that CoreLife Eatery is trying to make it possible for more people to enjoy healthy foods. It’s a given that they’re paying higher prices for the quality of foods they’re purchasing as ingredients, but it’s not affecting their bottom line one bit. In fact, the company is thriving and doubling its annual revenue on occasion so they’re certainly doing something right.
Final thoughts
Our first inclination was that CoreLife was a strictly vegetarian restaurant as it is billed as such in some advertisements. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, they certainly cater to your nutritional needs and preferences, but they also offer menu items for those who prefer meat based proteins as well. We were pleasantly surprised with the scope of their menu offerings, along with their operational model and strict adherence to providing the highest of quality in the freshness and wholesomeness of the ingredients they use as well as the responsible preparation methods they employ. It’s a treat to come across such a conscientious business that takes an admirable approach to serving their customers foods from menus which are fully transparent to help them make the best possible choices for their own health and well-being. We would highly recommend the CoreLife Eatery to anyone who has special nutritional needs or those who want to enhance their health and well-being by eating highly nutritious foods. If you haven’t tried CoreLife and you’re in an area where there is an eatery nearby, you might want to give them a try.
