Innovation

HEALTHe Café was inspired by a problem of there not being any healthy alternative food options for children in the local Thibodaux community. This problem was brought to Claire and John through Claire’s, parents who own an eLearning business. John and Claire then decided to open up HEALTHe Café next to the eLearning business and open it to the eLearning customers. After a few months, many members of the general public also wanted to eat at the café. Since HEALTHe Café has been open to the public, it has been a huge success.

The backbone of HEALTHe Café’s innovation is embedded in the recipes inspired by Claire Kopfler. She takes traditional recipes and adds her own healthy flare to them in order to spice them up to make them fun and interesting. The vision of the owners is to create a friendly, family orientated atmosphere that is “light, happy, and relaxing” in order for their customers and employees to feel welcomed and at home when they visit.

Inspiration

HEALTHe Café was opened in January of 2017 with one simple idea in mind, to “provide healthier alternatives for the children who attended Claire’s parents’ business, eLearning, which served the local community.” They decided to open up HEALTHe Café next door in order to serve the children. Since opening, HEALTHe Café has expanded into serving the general public and is a very successful business.

This idea was a great premise to start the business and helped John and Claire expand their business to what it is today. Both John and Claire have had previous experience in the food industry. In addition to experience, Claire is also a registered dietician. John and Claire both practice living a healthy lifestyle in their daily lives by eating right and exercising.

Overall impact

The impact HEALTHe Café has had in the local community is huge, but the biggest impact has to do with their employees. One week out of the year John and Claire have a “staff week” and let their employees run the restaurant. They “bring their own ideas” in order to make their own recipes. These recipes are served on the menu for the week and the employees are given the full credit they are due. Doing this allows the employees to become more engaged with their work because it allows them to see the impact it has on the customers who visit the restaurant. Staff week really solidifies the family orientated business John and Claire strive to achieve and promote.

Business benefit

HEALTHe Café is a ground-breaking take on the modern style. This gives them a competitive advantage over their competitors. Another advantage this business possesses is employee engagement. This is because employees get to see with their own eyes the positive effects of living a healthy lifestyle.

Social and environmental benefit

HEALTHe Café’s innovation holds many benefits to society within it. The restaurant promotes healthy lifestyles to the community by teaming up with the eLearning summer camp. While students attend the camp, HEALTHe Café provides all of their food and even teaches the children how to make healthy food preparation and choices.

HEALTHe Café provided to its local community by stimulating the economy by buying directly from farmers or farmers' markets in order to get the freshest ingredients. John and Claire go shopping regularly and their menu rotates regularly bases on which crops are in season. This stimulation of the economy is important because it is important to shop local and support small businesses.

The biggest social benefit HEALTHe Café provides is its promotion of living a healthy lifestyle. The menu items are healthier alternatives to other fast-food restaurants. John and Claire accomplish this by offering healthy food that is both “affordable and enjoyable.”

Interviews

Claire Kopfler, Co-owner

John Kopfler, Co-owner