The organic food craze has taken the 21st century by storm, as people have become more insistent on knowing where their food comes from and what has been used to grow it. This has definitely not been overlooked. Restaurants across the country have rotated out old, chemically treated ingredients to focus on the healthier, farm-to-table products that consumers are looking for.
The one market that has yet to be challenged by an organic competitor is the world of fast food — that is, until now. Nic's Organic Fast Food will be the first of its kind, a fast food restaurant fit with a drive-thru and McDonald's-esque menu items, made entirely from organic products.
We're talking organic breakfast sandwiches, organic burgers, organic soda, and even organic ice cream. Yes, I'm freaking out.
Is This Even Possible?
You bet it is. Though "fast food" and "organic" seem to be opposites, Nic's is the first fast food restaurant to be certified by Quality Assurance International as 100% organic.
And, this definitely isn't an empty certification. There are a lot of standards Nic's has successfully met in order to brand themselves as completely organic.
What Even Is Organic Food?
Everyone always talks about how much healthier it is, but is it actually? The CEO of Nic's, Benjamin Brittsan, said it best. "The organic lifestyle doesn’t mean you’re eating any healthier in terms of the food. What you’re benefitting from is from what’s not in the food.”
Organic foods are products that are grown without the extra chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, or synthesized fertilizers, and animals that produce organic food cannot be fed any chemicals or antibiotics.
It's not that eating organic food is necessarily healthier, but buying from organic farms supports environmentally friendly farming — always a plus.
How Much Will It Cost?
Organic food is universally known to be pricier than its "regular" counterpart. Nic's is doing everyone a solid and destroying that stereotype. Their menu items are only slightly pricier than their fast food competitors, making it an easy choice to select organic over questionable menu items that may not even be real food.
While there is no official grand opening date, the owners are planning on opening this February. Their first location (and only one for now) is in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. However, there is talk of expanding to more than 50 locations in the greater Chicago area in the coming years. Hopefully, they expand to every corner of the U.S. because I am definitely looking forward to getting my hands on this.