The demand for healthy fast food cuisine has been on the rise lately, and it's pretty clear why. This combined with an increase in food education means that people are becoming more cautious about the foods they put in their bodies when they're looking for fast food. Instead of grabbing a Big Mac, more and more people are opting for fresh, farm-to-table meals. People want healthy, veggie-based options—something that was not the case ten years ago.
Furthermore, with busy culture being so ingrained in our society people are moving away from slower, more conventional eating habits. Because time is limited and valuable, a quick bite can be more favorable than a sit-down meal. This opens up a market for healthful cuisines that can cater on the go.
Familiar restaurants that share this market are Panera, which grossed $5.8 billion last year, Chipotle, and the beloved (and ever-growing) Sweet Green.
Consumers are drawn to these restaurants because they satisfy their demands for quality food. As Aaron Allen, a restaurant industry analyst, explained, "Fresh is the most bankable word in foodservice." Also, with expedited service lines and touch app options, eating on the go has never been easier.
Enter Red White
This fast-casual lunch spot is doing things a little differently. Located in the heart of Newbury Street, the restaurant serves create-your-own health bowls with a Japanese twist.
Unlike other fast-casual establishments, who typically use the same mix of more popular flavor palettes, Red White opts for authentic Japanese tastes. It uses recipes from a traditional Buddhist Monk dining style to promote wellness in its "healthy yet tasty Japanese cuisine."
As quoted from Toc Kobayashi, founder, and CEO of Red White, in an interview, he did with Boston Magazine, "The flavor combinations are completely different from what's currently available on the quick-service scene."
He uses Japanese elements that are bold and flavorful, such as "Monk Curry" (my personal favorite), and yuzu. He even offers udon as an option for those who want a more hearty option.
All the while, he's promoting healthy eating in the casual setting our busy schedules need. Everything screams consciousness for health — from the choice of toppings to the names given to the dishes themselves, such as "Power and Muscle," "Vitamin and Recovery."
You can pick and choose your base, toppings, and dressing to go or to stay if you have some extra time (they recently made the transition from disposable bowls to reusable ones for dine-in too).
This is a concept Kobayashi pioneered and has deeply invested in. Despite owning 12 restaurant branches in Japan, he sold most of them to focus on his brainchild, here in Boston. He plans to expand if the concept is successful, and that might happen sooner than you think. With Red White's success on Newbury Street, fast casual vegan Japanese may become the next big thing in the world of fast food.