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Origins

EVOS was started in Tampa, Florida, in 1994 by Alkis Crassas, Michael Jeffers, and Dino Lambridis, three friends from different backgrounds who enjoyed eating the classic all-American meal of burgers, fries, and shakes but were tired of feeling guilty after consuming food that was unhealthy and contained so many calories. After determining that a niche for healthy fast-food was nowhere to be found in the market, they decided to start a new restaurant concept based on that notion. The end result was EVOS, a fast-casual restaurant offering the typical fast-food items that people love to eat but re-creating them with better ingredients and healthier preparation techniques. Originally, the restaurant was more similar to an independent café, but over the years, EVOS has evolved into a welldeveloped concept franchised at multiple locations throughout the southeast. Currently, there are six EVOS locations-including four in South Florida, one in Atlanta, Georgia, one in Chapel Hill, North Carolina-and several in development.

Recipe for Success At EVOS, menu items are "air-baked" instead of deep-fried with oil, which significantly cuts down on excess fat. EVOS supports sustainable farming whenever possible, and many of its fresh products and ingredients are sourced from local family farms. The best-selling item on the menu is the Original Steakburger, made with naturally raised grass fed beef, which is both hormone and antibiotic free. Other favorites include "airbaked" chicken strips made with hormone-free white meat chicken, fresh salads made with locally grown organic field greens, homemade milkshakes made with organic milk and sugar, and real fruit shakes made with natural fruit juices. Because the food is fresh, high in quality, and unique, EVOS runs on a significantly higher food cost than many of their fast-food competitors, as approximately 31 percent.

The owners' philosophy for success is built from a three-piece recipe. First and foremost, food is the star in a restaurant business, and you have to get that right before moving forward. Once you have the right food, you need to hire and retain the right people. At EVOS, the philosophy from day one has been a coaching mentality instead of a managing mentality. This means that managers should focus on coaching and developing their employees in an environment that cultivates participation and gives employees empowerment to make important decisions. Finally, it is important to build restaurants that are comfortable and inviting while maintaining the focus on eco-friendly initiatives.

Environment

EVOS is a company dedicated to eco-friendly and sustainable business practices. The name EVOS means "fast food evolved," which epitomizes both their revolutionary outlook on fast-food taken to new heights and their environmentally conscious mentality. EVOS has made numerous commitments to the implementation of clean renewable energy by purchasing commercial restaurant equipment from Energy Star, using compact fluorescent lighting, which consumes less energy, and using energyconserving light switches in the bathrooms, which turn off automatically when they are not being used. Furthermore, the owners use a variety of sustainable materials when building EVOS establishments, such as eco-friendly paints and adhesives, recycled wood supplies, and eco-friendly flooring panes. The paper products used in the restaurant are printed on recycled paper with soy- and vegetablebased inks, and the plastic cups and bags are biodegradable. According to the owners, the use of recycled paper and biodegradable products can amount to more than 5 percent of a restaurant's operational costs.

Challenges and Goals

The owners of EVOS have faced many challenges from the beginning, including start-up and operational issues. Healthy fast-food did not exist when the original restaurant was conceptualized, and everything was new territory for the owners. Creating a menu was difficult because there were not many places you could use as a reference. In the beginning, they offered items such as tomato basil soup, traditional turkey and cheese sandwich, or tabouleh and hummus, all of which were made fresh from scratch. In addition, only one of the three owners had previous restaurant experience before starting EVOS. When the restaurant opened, business took off from the beginning, which required all three owners to perform the daily operations, while learning the ins and outs of running a restaurant business on-the-go. EVOS has many goals moving forward as a company. The most general goal is bringing healthy fast food to America in as many communities as possible. One of the most important goals that EVOS owners have established is maintaining the culture they have created within the organization. This involves running a company that the owners are proud of and would want to work for if they were outsiders looking in, as well as a company they and their employees continuously want to work for as insiders looking out. The owners believe that this is extremely important to their success because the food and the look of the restaurant is something that can be copied, and probably has been to a certain extent, but the culture and the people are harder to copy, which has made EVOS unique in the long-term.

Questions

1. What type of restaurant would you classify EVOS as (quick-service, fast/quick-casual, casual, theme)? Why?

2. What other restaurant concepts is EVOS most similar to?

3. Who are EVOS's competitors, and what are some ways that they differentiate themselves from their competitors?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of placing such a heavy focus on eco-friendly and sustainable business practices?

5. Why do you think the EVOS concept has had such a modest growth over the last 18 years? What should their goal be for expansion over the next 5 or 10 years?