Red Mango, the fastest-growing retailer of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, opened its first US store in July 2007 in Los Angeles. It has since celebrated over 70 store openings in 17 states. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Red Mango is considered the frontrunner in the tart frozen yogurt phenomenon that has become popular with health-minded diners, and became the first frozen yogurt retailer to become certified by the National Yogurt Association’s Live and Active Culture Seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt. The brand has also pioneered the first iced teas fortified with probiotics, and recently entered the smoothie business with an all-natural formulation based on fresh fruit and stevia.

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Headquartered in Alameda, CA, Chef-K (an acronym for Culinary Health Education for Kids) provides culinary education programs geared to children and teenagers. Founded by former Fortune 500 executive Laurie Zerga, Chef-K offers age-specific programs for use in schools and youth community groups. The six-week courses are typically for groups of 12 to 15 youngsters, and cover everything from nutritional basics and menu planning to cooking techniques like pan grilling, roasting and sautéing. Chef-K’s client roster includes the San Francisco Unified School District, the Boy Scouts of America, the Alameda Boys & Girls Club, U.S. Air Force, and private schools.

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Temecula, CA-based Melt Gelato operates and franchises fast casual restaurants similar to European cafés, serving authentic Italian gelato and sorbetto, French crepes, Italian panini’s, salads, smoothies, Italian coffees and a variety of pastries and confections. Sourced from the finest natural ingrededients and created in the old-fashioned method of Italian artisans, Melt Gelato’s gelato delivers extraordinary flavor and creamy texture with a significantly lower fat content than regular ice-cream. The company’s commitment to friendly, individualized customer service creates a unique, appealing and entertaining dining experience. Founded in 2004 with one store, Melt Gelato now has more than 20 franchise-owned stores and is poised for explosive growth into new territories in 2009.

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Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Specialty’s Café & Bakery is a highly respected and successful foodservice company with 22 bakery-cafés in the San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Chicago markets. Typically situated within high-traffic business areas, each Specialty’s store features an exhibition bakery. The company’s focus is its renowned food: fresh-baked, breads, cookies and pastries; plus handmade sandwiches; homemade soups; and fresh salads. Appreciative customers consistently rate food quality and flavor as the number one reason they prefer Specialty’s. Ever since the company’s establishment in 1988, co-founder and vice-president of product development Dawn Saxton has personally supervised recipe development, product creation and food quality. In 2003, Specialty’s expanded its catering business following the acquisition of SandwichDirect.com.

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Longwood, Florida-based Food Systems Unlimited is a cutting-edge restaurant management corporation with franchises in food courts, malls and airports throughout the United States. The company’s innovative style, creative food concepts and focus on fine ingredients and excellent service have earned it a reputation for serving the most “distinctive food court cuisine” in the industry. Food Systems Unlimited features three unique fast food restaurants – Asian Chao®, Maki of Japan® and Chao Cajun®, offering Chinese, Japanese and Cajun-style cooking respectively. Founded in 1991, the company now has more than 75 restaurant locations nationwide. Read more about this nutrition case study below.

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