Innovation

Many innovations exist within Freshii. The main innovation, however, would have to be Freshii’s limited-time offer rotating menu. Freshii’s menu rotates every 90 days to cater to the next and new healthy food trends. Freshii’s innovation is making healthy food genuinely something that is appealing and excites people, and this ninety-day menu pushes forth this concept. Manager of Freshii New Brunswick, Frank Stuto, states some of the new limited-time offers such as the new “spicy chicken balls” or other food items continue to change the stigma around healthy eating. Other innovations that the company, and specifically Freshii New Brunswick, conduct to show their commitment to having zero carbon footprint are initiatives such as using biodegradable bags to shake salads, using pulp resin in their bowls, and having no grease trap in their store. While Frank wasn’t specifically the person to create these innovations, he shows a commitment to pushing them in the store and outside of it, as evidenced in our interview and the circumstances surrounding the interview. Frank was actually on the way to another Freshii location to assist on an issue, showing how much he is connected to the purpose of the company and showing his willingness to still offer information on the company by still conducting the interview.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal that most connects to Freshii’s innovation of the ninety-day menu is the Good Health and Well-Being goal. This is because Freshii provides an innovative solution to today’s vapid unhealthy food culture. In mass media culture, there is an emphasis on the consumption of unhealthy foods, and this is partly due to the marketing of those products. Healthy food is rarely marketed under the same lens and often does not trend for a good reason without being subject to scrutiny. Freshii’s mission was to liken healthy food to the comfort foods we all indulge in, and their solution to re-innovate their menu is both clever and effective. Frank personally did not have to pitch to many stakeholders as he used his inheritance money to start the business in New Brunswick himself. He stated that New Brunswick provided great opportunities for growth and development without an alarming threat of competition.

Inspiration

Currently, people from all walks of life and all age groups pay great attention to health since everyone is thirsty for a disease-free body. With the rapid development of the national economic level and the gradual improvement of people's quality of life, people's demand for healthy food is increasing daily. People are concerned about the nutrition and health benefits of food, flavor, and taste. The diversity of the health food industry in Canada gave Frank some inspiration because he thought there was a good future for the health food industry in the United States. He claims, "Every year the demand for healthy food is on the rise, so it is a good opportunity.” According to his research, an increasing number of people pay more attention to health and wellness, but there are few healthy options in New Jersey. The vast market demand of the health food industry and the shortage of the current market supply provide Frank with a better premise for developing his business. The introduction of Freshii's innovative healthy food to New Jersey will give people in the area more options. Frank also mentioned that “Canada and other countries have 10x more healthy foods”, meaning that the health food industry is widely enjoyed by large groups in different regions and countries. What's even more interesting is that the innovation is related to the business mission statement, which is creating a sustainable healthy food system and providing satisfactory service to customers.

Overall impact

The impact of Freshii's main innovation is seen by its customers. One aspect in which their innovation impacts is seen with their customers. Freshii uses only the best raw ingredients with no pre-seasonings giving the customer complete control of what they want to eat. This provides the customer with a full range of options and combinations to meet their dietary restrictions, such as keto, paleo, or vegetarian; it's entirely up to the customer. Our contact at Freshii, Frank Stuto, said how having these options gives their customers ultimate customization and differentiates Freshii from other restaurants in the area as a healthy green food option. Having these options at their store allows Freshii to have better customer service and to focus on their customers while having the best overall experience with every visit.

To Freshii, the customer's opinion and keeping them happy is key; that's why Freshii offers limited-time menu items and does questionnaires to grasp what their customers truly want. Its practices like these keep its customers coming for more, and its business keeps growing. Freshii has also been keen on being a green company and aligning itself with sustainability in every way possible. For example, Freshii uses biodegradable bags and does not have grease traps like other restaurants would usually have; ultimately, Freshii has a carbon footprint of 0. Innovations like these set Freshii apart from its competitors and help the customer decide to give them their business as they would be supporting a green company that focuses on health and the environment.

Business benefit

One of Freshii’s core values is excellent customer service, so their customers feel welcomed and want to return. Freshii tries in every step of its business to be flexible for its customers in the form of menu items, ingredients, and the interactions that staff has with their customers. Freshii fully customized some of its menu items to let the customer get whatever experience they want. Talking to Frank Stuto, it is clear how vital the customer is at Freshii, and he said that they want to treat the customers more like guests at their establishment; if for any reason a guest does not enjoy their meal, they are entitled to another menu item or their money back. To Freshii, it is crucial to build a sense of community and have excellent customer service so that their customers keep coming back for more.

Freshii uses its unique approach to facilitating its business and implementing innovation to create strong relationships with employees to help the business run efficiently and effectively as intended. Freshii treats its employees well, values their ability to progress in their skills, and offers employee incentives to boost productivity. Freshii allows employees to use discount codes and offers employees to get percentages of sales. Corporate sets goals and offers bonuses to the stores and employees that reach their specific goals, which leads to more motivation to accomplish these business goals. They also start new employees “above minimum wage and typically give 25-50 cent raises to employees” who have shown progression and produced good and consistent work. Through the implementation of the employee incentive programs, building strong relationships with employees, evaluating progress and employee performance, and fostering a system of open communication and outreach, Freshii has increased employee retention, and all current employees in New Brunswick “have been working for over six months.” Since Freshii has created a positive working environment for their employees and consistently monitors and improves upon employee progress, they now have even better customer service and efficient everyday operations, which have had significant benefits to business performance and customer reviews.

Social and environmental benefit

Freshii’s innovation benefits the environment in many ways. First, they use biodegradable bags and materials within their stores to reduce pollution and eliminate plastic waste. Unlike other restaurants and fast-food chains, Freshii implements Resin-In-Pulp processes to absorb metals through filters to reduce contamination and does not use grease traps within their facilities. As a result of these sustainable and environmentally conscious practices, Freshii has “zero carbon footprint on through their entire corporate business level.” Being sustainable enough to produce zero carbon footprint is an outstanding accomplishment and one that not many businesses can attest to. Freshii’s practices go above and beyond what is expected of the average business, causing them to stand out above the competition as they continue to benefit the environment.

Additionally, Freshii’s innovation has a significant impact on society. Their innovation benefits their customers because they provide healthy food options while catering to individual dietary needs. Freshii uses “fresh and raw ingredients,” and offers “celiac and keto” options for those who need or prefer it. Freshii’s menu was designed to offer healthy options, which differentiates it from many other businesses that mostly offer very unhealthy and processed foods. Other nations across the world, such as Canada, have “nearly ten times more healthy food options” than the United States, especially New Jersey. Frank and Freshii are working to spread the new wave of healthy food options to New Jersey and offer beneficial and healthy options to new markets. They also benefit society by providing excellent customer service, offering various customer surveys and feedback initiatives, and taking care of employees. These factors show how Freshii is interested in the general well-being and overall health of society. This is apparent in Freshii’s mission statement, which is to: “Make healthy food convenient and affordable around the world.” These values are consistent within all Freshii franchise locations and they continue to seek new ways to benefit the health and service of customers while finding new ways to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Interview

Frank Stuto, New Brunswick Franchise Owner