SoFresh, a healthful rapid-food stuff eatery, opens in Lakeland

LAKELAND — If you might be by now struggling to maintain your “consume healthful” New Year’s resolution, there’s a new South Lakeland fast eatery that might be ready to help.

SoFresh, billed as a wholesome rapidly food concept dependent in Tampa, opened its Lakeland spot Wednesday early morning.

Clay Donato, the vice president of growth for SoFresh, mentioned the new area at 4756 S. Florida Ave. has been in improvement for about a calendar year.

“I imagine the industry has been seeking for some nutritious alternate options for a though,” Donato, 32, reported. “There is certainly not a whole lot of alternatives in this market for the kind of foodstuff we serve.”

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The “quick casual clean” eatery serves entirely customizable bowls, salads, wraps and quesadillas. There is also a wide variety of protein solutions, which include hen, grass-fed steak and ahi tuna. There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free selections.

“We use extremely superior-high-quality proteins, which is fairly uncommon for the rapidly, casual space,” Donato said. “I think it is often crucial in the marketplace to have healthier possibilities, you know, though even now serving speedy.”

The franchise is owned by Kareem Mustafa, 38. Even though this is his initial SoFresh franchise, Mustafa also owns two Dunkin’ Donuts spots in Lakeland. After Mustafa experienced his initial SoFresh style, he was hooked.

“I was in Tampa, and I stopped in to try the meals and I fell in love with the food stuff and there was nothing at all like that in Lakeland,” Mustafa explained. “I have been in Lakeland for about 10 several years, and it truly is serious hard to locate balanced foodstuff that is created new day-to-day.”

The new SoFresh is found across from a buying middle that contains a GreenWise and a HomeGoods and sits up coming to a Publix, all facets that Donato suggests pulls at their family members-oriented demographic.

About 10 minutes soon after SoFresh opened, five clients stood inside of the smaller spot, all masked. Mustafa reported they experienced about 20 orders scheduled for pickup by means of their application prior to the 10:30 a.m. grand opening.

Donato, who has been with SoFresh for a year, stated the organization now relies more greatly on the application for the reason that of limits pushed by the coronavirus pandemic. Even though pickup and takeout selections are extra well-liked, there is seating within the cafe, in addition to a few chairs and tables established up for out of doors dining.

Although Donato and Mustafa feel SoFresh is filling a area of interest for Lakeland, the sector they occupy is growing. The wellbeing and wellness foods current market “is poised to grow by USD 234.94 through 2020-2024,” according to BusinessWire.

Donato reported the final eight to 10 months have expedited that approach, with people today having to pay much more consideration to their life-style and what they place in their entire body in the course of the quarantine period.

“I assume the marketplace has been trending toward healthier concepts around the last couple of many years,” Donato reported. “And I feel the pandemic has began to expedite that even more rapidly.”