If you’ve been getting a little bored with the veggie scene in Montreal, we’ve got a little tip that will have you loving the green life all over again: Fresh, the bustling Toronto-based vegetarian hotspot, will be opening it’s doors in the Plateau this Fall.
If you’ve ever tried the Buddha Bowl, the Ace of Kales, or a made-to-order juice, you understand just how big this is. And if you haven’t, prepare to get hooked on revitalizing, refreshing, modern-day health food that will have even die-hard carnivores lining up for more. What’s so utterly addictive about Fresh is that it’s not geared towards the meatless and wheatless. Fresh is for food lovers. Forget the raw and rough vegan fare made for your pet rabbit; this menu is chock full of vibrant dishes boasting exotic ingredients and kickass flavours that will make you completely forget that you’re actually doing your body serious good. Fresh gets that we weren’t all born lusting for alfalfa. The goal is to provide health food at all levels so you can get on board without feeling tangled up in tofu.
If you’re a veggie vet, welcome to your Mecca. Sprouted salads bursting with fresh fruits and veggies, hulled hemp seeds, sunflower sprouts, goji berries and other chopped, cubed and shredded superfoods will have you doing a little jig. And if you’ve never even considered letting tempeh touch your plate, Fresh has all kind of noshes that will fit nicely in your wheelhouse.
Sink your teeth into the BBQ burger’s high protein, made-from-scratch, almond and grain patty slathered in BBQ sauce, garlic mayo, and hot banana chilies (with a side of better-than-the-real-thing quinoa onion rings) and you’ll be sucked over to the green side before you have a chance to realize you’re savouring kale slaw. Craving a serious Canadian-style brunch? Rather than stuffing yourself with a heavy pancake platter, why not indulge in Fresh’s gluten-free blueberry almond or banana nut version that won’t leave you confined to the couch? The best part is that Fresh serves up pure, unprocessed dark maple syrup that will make you question how you ever called yourself Canadian.
Fresh’s newly-signed Montreal location is due to a brand new partnership between the owners of Fresh and Montreal-based company Groupe Evoluco, the team responsible for the success of the Sushi Shop franchise. The plan is to bring Fresh’s clean creations across the globe. Locations in Moscow and Mexico have already opened to rave reviews. While Fresh is now a franchise, Evoluco’s main focus is to maintain the culture and image of the Fresh brand. “The goal is to integrate each and every franchisee into the Fresh mission, as well as into the community,” says President of Evoluco Dominic Bujold. “Every franchisee will become a brand ambassador. Fresh needs to be a part of their own lifestyle.” It’s a modern franchise model with a totally modern outlook, where a franchisee’s qualifications are based on their competence, not their financing. “It’s not about opening as many stores as possible, it’s about quality and the right locations,” explains Michaël Duhamel, Evoluco’s Founder and Executive VP. “We want the sun to shine on Fresh. Literally.”
Named as one of the top juice bars in North America by Food Network’s Best of Show, Fresh is sure to become a go-to in Montreal’s flourishing health scene.
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