When Kris Young and state Sen. Samuel "Buzz" Thomas surveyed the choices for a quick, healthy lunch in downtown Lansing, they didn't find many options.
The two men, both employed by the state at the time, co-founded Fresh Healthy Food, 111 S. Washington Square in Lansing, which opened in April.
Sunflower seeds, spinach pasta, fresh strawberries, varieties of cheeses and three large bins of lettuce help fill the extensive salad bar — the restaurant's main menu item.
Paintings by local artist Richard O'Malley of the Lansing Art Gallery hang in black frames on the florescent green walls.
"Two things kind of inspired us," Young said. "The lack of healthy options to eat … (and the) phenomenal growth in Lansing."
When Thomas and Young first started pursuing the idea of opening a healthy food restaurant, East Lansing was the number one location — and instead of a salad bar, fresh pasta was on the cook line.
But they soon heard that just doors down from their ideal Grand River Avenue location, the pasta-themed restaurant Noodles and Co. was moving in, Young said.
It was then that the decision was made to buy the old cigar shop in Lansing and offer a healthy lunch option.
"We thought (the clientele) would be predominately women," said Mike Young, Kris Young's brother and store manager. "But there are a lot of guys."
The outdoor tables bring in a lot of foot traffic, he said, and he estimated about 3 percent of customers drive to the restaurant. During lunch the tables are full, and there is often a line.
"It's fast, it's convenient and you make it yourself," said Kim Bausick. Bausick eats at Fresh Healthy Food an average of three times per week and said the healthy aspect of the restaurant really appeals to her.
The restaurant has seen more success than was anticipated, Mike Young said, adding that the restaurant sold 140 salads Monday.
"We're doing better than we even thought," he said.
The salad bar is self-serve and costs $5.99 a pound. Exotic dressings such as Greek feta, Asian sesame and Caribbean mango accompany the traditional ranch, French and Italian dressings, adding more unusual options when creating a salad.
"Everything you see, we chop up fresh in the morning — same goes with our lettuce," Mike Young said.
The restaurant also gives customers the chance to make their own wraps with the fresh veggies and meats, and offers different soups and pre-made pastas to fill the food line as well.
"The tomato (basil bisque) soup sells like crazy," he said. "We're probably going to incorporate smoothies within the next few months."
He added that no other restaurant in the area offers fresh smoothies.
