Fast-growing superfood cafe franchise Grain & Berry opened in Port Charlotte, making it the 19th in the state out of a total of 23 nationwide.
Helen and David Haller hosted a soft opening Feb. 8 for their location in Murdock Carrousel Shopping Center, 2000 Tamiami Trail. Located next to Sprouts Farmers Market, the restaurant offers dine-in, takeout and catering and is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Since opening day, things have been busy. The sounds of blenders fill the air as customers queue up to order a variety of organic and plant-based smoothies, flatbreads, quesadillas, juices, specialty toasts and bowls customers design from an array of ingredients.
Grain & Berry was founded by Trey Kessler, Douglas Lang and Kristen Lang in 2017. With headquarters in Trinity, 10 more franchises are about to open, with six in Florida and the other four in Alabama, Pennsylvania and Texas.
According to the parent company, all of the restaurants are between 1,500 to 2,800 square feet, allowing 30 to 80 seats in each location.
The franchise states it imports Grade A organic acai from the Amazon rainforest.
“With a commitment to quality and sustainability, we only use the freshest ingredients possible and never use any artificial flavors or colorings, ensuring that every dish is as equally nutritious as it is delicious,” the Hallers’ mission statement reads on their restaurant’s Facebook page.
The menu, with prices ranging from $8.74 for smoothies and juices to $12.74 for quesadillas, is worth mentioning. Unlike smoothie shops that serve traditional banana, strawberry and pineapple shakes, Grain & Berry’s menu goes a bit further by combining ingredients one might not associate as being compatible.
For instance, Beet the Heat blends beet juice, apple, ginger, cayenne pepper and lemon.
The Southern Apple Pie combines apple, pineapple, ginger and cinnamon, while the Elvis Parsley is a combination of kale, parsley, cucumber, celery, sea salt and lime.
There is a Healthy Elvis smoothie, too, made with banana, organic chocolate plant protein, peanut butter, honey and almond milk.
There are a variety of flat breads, including Go Fig or Go Home with fig spread, brie cheese, apple, arugula, olive oil, sea salt, pepper and balsamic glaze.
The Kickin’ Chicken contains plant-based chicken, celery, mozzarella, feta cheese and Frank’s Red Hot sauce. In addition, the vegan eatery uses plant-based sausage.
There are a half dozen bowls along with the option for customers to design their own.
The average start-up cost for a Grain & Berry franchise is $402,750, and the Small Business Administration will finance up to 90% of the franchise cost for eligible franchises, company officials said.
Company data shows that 2021 average gross sales were more than $1.1 million for Grain & Berry franchises opened 12 months or longer. Franchisees pay a 6% royalty fee and a 2% marketing fee to the firm.
