Roots Natural Kitchen CEO on defying the narrative of the slop bowl
Take-Away with Sam Oches · Nation's Restaurant News
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Show Notes
In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Henry Borgeson, CEO of Roots Natural Kitchen, an 18-unit salad and grain bowl concept that was started by some University of Virginia graduates in Charlottesville a decade ago. The premise was straightforward: make natural food radically accessible to everyday consumers. But history is riddled with examples of restaurateurs who thought they could improve the quality of fast food ingredients but still ended up failing. Henry joined the podcast to talk about how Roots’ approach is different — from its chef-curated bowls to its fast-moving drive thru to its kids-eat free program — and how the brand is defying the narrative around the so-called slop bowl.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
- No matter the quality of your menu, you must keep things simple
- You should treat your customers like you’ve invited them to your party
- Younger consumers are natural growth catalysts
- Digital ordering and customization may have given us so-called slop bowls
- Better-for-you fast food is possible if volume capacity is high
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].