User talk:Mike Cline/Articles Under Contemplation/LYFE Kitchen

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LYFE Kitchen
Company typeFast casual restaurant
IndustryFood service
FounderMike Roberts
HeadquartersPalo Alto, California,
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
Key people
Mike Donahue, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ronnen, Art Smith
ProductsHealthy fast casual dining
Websitelyfekitchen.com

LYFE Kitchen is a healthy, fast casual restaurant concept established in 2011 by former McDonald's executives Mike Roberts and Mike Donahue, and Vancouver, BC investment banker Steve Sidwell. The first restaurant opened in Palo Alto, California on October 12, 2011.[1]. LYFE which stands for Love Your Food Everyday aims to provide affordable, but healthy good tasting menu items low in salt and calories. LYFE has enlisted the services of Art Smith, formerly a personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and vegan chef Tal Ronnen to develop the menu.[2]

History

In February 2011, former President and Chief Operations Officer of McDonalds Mike Roberts and Mike Donahue, former communications officer for McDonalds announced the establishment of LYFE Kitchen, a new healthy fast casual restaurant concept.[3],[4], [5] Roberts left McDonalds in August 2006.[6] The concept was the brainchild of Steve Sidwell, a Vancouver, B.C. investment banker and promoter of Gardein protein products. Sidwell partnered with Roberts and Donahue to recruit two celebrity chefs--Art Smith and Tal Ronnen--known for their interest in healthy cooking and nutrition.[7] Tal Ronnen is a renowned vegan chef, New York Times best selling author of The Conscious Cook and former personal chef to Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.[8] Ronnen was associated with Steve Sidwell as an advisor to Gardein Inc. a Vancouver, B.C. manufacturer of plant based meat substitutes. [9] The first LYFE Kitchen restaurant opened in Palo Alto, California on October 12, 2011. LYFE Kitchen has expansion plans for a chain of 250 restaurants and retail products in national supermarket chains.[10]


[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Concept

LYFE Kitchen's culinary tenets are to provide flavorful, convenient, nourishing fare with menu items containing less than 600 calories and 1000mg of sodium.[19], [20] Chefs Art Smith and Tal Ronnen bring expertise in comfort food and plant-based foods to a menu that focuses on familiar flavors. LYFE Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner menus seven days a week. The menu claims to feature responsibly sourced ingredients from local, sustainable farms and relies heavily on herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables to enhance the flavor profile. No dairy, butter, trans fats or perservatives are used in their food. Menu items average between $2-$13 and LYFE Kitchen serves a variety of drinks, to include beer and organic wines.

The first LYFE Kitchen was designed with sustainability in mind and is a 3,500-square-foot restaurant that seats 80 people indoors and another 20 on the patio. It uses renewable resources such as bamboo for tabletops and flooring. It recycles cooking exhaust to heat other appliances.[21]

According to Mike Donahue:

We anticipate the average [unit development cost] will be $1.2 million to $1.5 million,” Donahue said. Targeted average annual sales are about $2.4 million per unit from daypart per-person averages of $7 at breakfast, $11 at lunch and $13 at dinner.

— Mike Donahue, Chief Communications Officer, LYFE Kitchen[1]

Current menu

LYFE Kitchen's current menu can be viewed here.

[22] [23] [24] [25]

Celebrity support

In September 2011, LYFE Kitchen announced its National Wellness and Health Advisory Panel with advisors from pro sports, medical and nutrition communities:[26]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Alan J. Liddle (October 13, 2011). "LYFE Kitchen debuts". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  2. ^ Elena Conis (August 15, 2011). "Lyfe Kitchen promises healthful fast food". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  3. ^ Emily Bryson York (February 6, 2011). "Lyfe Kitchen to enter restaurant mix with healthy eating at its core". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  4. ^ Sarah Duxbury (February 18, 2011). "Lyfe Kitchen business plan". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  5. ^ Rupal Parekh (July 2010). "Did Somebody Say McHealthy? Fast-Food Alums Try New Concept". Advertising Age. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  6. ^ Kate Macarthur (August 23, 2006). "McDonald's President-COO Resigns". Advertising Age. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  7. ^ Robin Van Tan (March 2011). "The Whole Foods of Fast Food". QSRMagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  8. ^ Rene Lynch (June 23, 2011). "Tal Ronnen says make it vegan but make it delicious". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  9. ^ "chef tal loves to cook with gardein". Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  10. ^ Kate McArthur (October 17, 2011). "LYFE in the fast lane: Health foods from former McDonald's exec". Crains Chicago Business News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  11. ^ Sheila Shayon (July 12, 2011). "Former McDonald's President Cooking Up Green Rival". Brandchannel.com. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  12. ^ "Devante Capital Management Team". Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  13. ^ Linda Zavoral (October 12, 2011). "A la Carte: LYFE Kitchen launches its healthy cooking concept in Palo Alto". Mercury News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  14. ^ "LYFE Kitchen Breaks Ground on First Location". QSRMagazine. June 17, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  15. ^ Lisa Jennings (May 24, 2011). "Former McD exec readies launch of LYFE Kitchen". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  16. ^ Robin Van Tan (March 2011). "The Whole Foods of Fast Food". QSRMagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  17. ^ Sophie Brickman (June 9, 2011). "Art Smith opening LYFE in Palo Alto". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  18. ^ Kate McArthur (October 17, 2011). "LYFE in the fast lane: Health foods from former McDonald's exec". Crains Chicago Business News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  19. ^ Linda Zavoral (October 12, 2011). "A la Carte: LYFE Kitchen launches its healthy cooking concept in Palo Alto". Mercury News. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  20. ^ "LYFE Kitchen serving a healthy lifestyle". Fastcasual.com. October 3, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  21. ^ Alan J. Liddle (November 7, 2011). "Sustainable Design-Renewables gain traction as products improve, mindsets change". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved 11-11-2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ^ "LYFE Kitchen names health advisory panel". QSRWeb.com. September 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  23. ^ Sarah Duxbury (February 18, 2011). "Lyfe Kitchen business plan". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  24. ^ Kelly Dobkin (September 9, 2011). "5 Healthy Chain Restaurants to Look Out For". Zagat.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  25. ^ Linda Zavoral (October 18, 2011). "Can you eat like a king on 600 calories?". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
  26. ^ "Pro Athletes, Chefs Lend Advice to LYFE Panel". QSRMagazine.com. September 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-22.

[[Category:Palo Alto, California| ]] [[Category:Restaurants in Palo Alto, California]] [[Category:Fast casual restaurants]]

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