Former schoolteacher and healthy eating advocate Roushan Cristofellis is setting out to slim down the fast-food industry -- one drive-thru salad at a time.
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The owner of Salad and Go, a healthy fast food drive-thru, plans to open what she hopes to be the first of many locations on Thursday, February 28, at the southeast corner of Gilbert and Guadalupe Roads in Gilbert.
With no interior seating (there is a patio) and a small menu of 10 salads (which can be turned into wraps), Cristofellis has kept costs low and enlisted the help of many to make a trip to Salad and Go worthwhile and to keep customers coming back. One of those who had a hand in the salad creation process is Daniel Patino, executive chef of Scottsdale's Bourbon Steak.
With the option of adding free-range chicken, marinated steak, shrimp, or Gardein, a plant-based chicken substitute, the salads -- created by Patino, Cristofellis, a nutrition company, and others -- also feature scratch-made dressings. Specific selections include a spinach and smoked bacon creation, a caprese, and a BBQ Ranch with roasted sweet corn, spicy black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, and avocados.
Salads are $5.50 (not including the protein add-ons) for a 48-ounce container.
Beverages at Salad and Go include organic, non-fat frozen yogurt milkshakes, and Evolution Fresh wellness drinks. A kids menu is also available.
On why she started Salad and Go, Cristofellis says, "A couple years ago, we [my husband and I] made a conscious decision to really start looking at what we are putting into our bodies and the kinds of food we eat. This is when we really started to feel the void in healthy and great tasting options that are convenient and affordable."
Salad and Go 743 North Gilbert Road, Gilbert 480-304-5662 www.saladandgo.com
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday