My Fit Foods, a new healthy food take-out concept, plans to open its first Arizona location in December at the Shops at Gainey Village.
Mario Mendias, the Houston-based owner, didn’t want to discuss the new food enterprise, but the company’s Arizona master broker, Greg Saltz of Phoenix-based De Rito Partners, confirmed that a lease has been signed to take over a portion of space previously occupied by two failed restaurants: Dish and the Kitchen. The Shops at Gainey Village is at the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Doubletree Ranch roads in Scottsdale. “They hope to have eight to 12 locations around the Valley,” Saltz said of My Fit Foods, which already has 20 locations in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.
Jason Baker, principal of Houston brokerage Baker Katz, said My Fit Foods is a familiar brand in that market, though it has some competition. His firm has worked with My Fit Foods on site selection, he said.“Their biggest advantages are an incredible variety of prepared meals. Their food is extremely fresh, and they have a nutritionist on site,” Baker said. “You can buy one meal or come up with a plan for a month.”Baker said the stores are all corporately owned to his knowledge, but My Fit Foods prefers to take on partners with most stores. As a result, they are able to afford some premium locations.“They’ve not been afraid to pay,” he said. Normally, Baker said, My Fit Foods leases about 1,500 square feet for each store, but it has been known to more than double that size at some locations. For example, My Fit Foods is leasing 3,700 square feet at the Shops at Gainey Village, Saltz said. The high-end neighborhood center features a number of casual and formal dining restaurants, including McCormick & Schmick’s, Bloom, Paradise Bakery, Pei Wei Asian Diner and Village Tavern.
My Fit Foods will offer 45 meal options, cooked 24/7, 362 days a year, according to De Rito sources. The company’s website says the ingredients are fresh and preservative-free — never frozen.“At My Fit Foods, there is a formula for everything we create, which includes weighing every single ounce of lean proteins, measuring the amount of low glycemic carbohydrates and healthy fats,” the website states.Dishes at the Texas locations include ground turkey breakfast tacos, salmon stir-fry, blackened tilapia, char-grilled chicken and lemon turkey. Most dishes cost $4 to $11. Baker said a couple of years ago, he thought the concept might be a fad. “Now I think it has some staying power, if they can maintain the quality and remain affordable,” he said.
Premium content from Phoenix Business Journal - by Jan Buchholz
Date: Friday, July 8, 2011, 3:00am MST
