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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s Tu e s d a y, M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6 9 6 WHOLESOME GOODNESS: A BRAND OF FOODS THAT "LOVE YOU BACK" By Lorrie Baumann Wholesome Goodness is a brand based on three key tenets: that food should taste great, that food should be nutritious, and that nutritious food should be affordable. Because it fulfills all three of these goals, Wholesome Goodness' product line aligns with the way that Millennial gen- eration consumers want to eat today, according to company founders Jeff Posner and Rick Letizia. Posner and Letizia had 70 years of experience in the food industry between them when they decided to leave behind their executive positions in major food companies like Kraft and General Foods to strike out on their own with a brand reflecting their beliefs about how more nutritious foods can help address health problems related to diet. Posner himself suffers from high blood pressure, while Letizia has type-2 diabetes, so they are personally aware of the burdens that nutrition-related diseases place on health care costs, quality of life and longevity. From experience, they knew that major food companies use ingredients that make products cheaper to manufac- ture but may offer less nutrition to the consumers who used them. They wanted to go another way; to start a food busi- ness that would serve consumers' ever- increasing expectations for healthier foods. "Wholesome Goodness products emphasize positive ingredients like pro- tein, antioxidants and whole grains, while de-emphasizing negative ingredi- ents like saturated fats, added sugars and added sodium," Posner said. "Part one of the Wholesome Goodness promise is that for every calorie consumed you get relatively more nutri- tion than the mainstream national brands," he continued. "Part two is affordability. This requirement recognizes that 75 per- cent of the country is overweight or obese, and the barriers to eating healthier foods are both taste and price. Conceptually, if you take nutritional density and divide by price, our products provide consumers with the optimal blend of high nutrition and affordable cost. That's our unique value proposition. At Wholesome Goodness, we want the 75 percent of the population that's overweight or obese to be able to afford and enjoy each and every one of our products." The two started out six years ago by talking with consumers and retailers to learn more about changing trends in eating patterns before they decided that their first products would be a line of snacks, Letizia said. "Data shows that the bulk of our pop- ulation, in particular the nearly 80 million Millennials, are snacking four to six times a day; thus, portability is extremely impor- tant – things you can throw in your purse or backpack," he said. As the two developed other prod- ucts, they stayed with the directive that they wanted their foods to be nutrition- dense, a concept offered up by Yale University childhood obesity and nutri- tion expert Dr. David Katz. This concept, simply stated, requires that for every calorie contained in their products, the consumer will get a healthier blend of more positive nutrition and less negative nutrition. They wanted clean ingredients without excessive sodium or added sug- ars. "We currently ban 127 ingredients that other food companies use today, including all 85 identified by Whole Foods," Letizia said. "We have the clean- est ingredient deck in the industry at the present time." And while they were creating clean ingredient labels for their products, they also wanted to produce foods that were more affordable than mainstream com- petitors', Posner said. "These are the kinds of products that my mother would have served the family: great-tasting and affordable for the family. Not that she did anything different from all my friends' mothers; the only thing my friends and I knew growing up was just good, old- fashioned food," he said. "Frankly, there is no reason why anyone today should have to pay a premium to have better-for- you products." "We don't have anywhere near the cost structure of the large companies. We don't own any plants; instead, we use highly-qualified third parties to manufacture our proprietary product formulations, so we don't have the overhead and capital requirements of a big company. We certainly don't make the multi-million dollar salaries of the executives of the large food companies. We don't have the requirement to deliv- er a 15 percent bottom line just to main- tain shareholder value – we can make do on a much smaller percentage," he explained. "We want our products to be accessible to the masses.... For exam- ple, our award winning Sweet Chili and Omega Tortilla Chips come in a 9- ounce bag that retails for $3.99 – and even less on feature. A 5.5-ounce bag of competing better-for-you brands will cost about as much as Wholesome Goodness. Consequently, we're less expensive, averaging about 20 to 30 percent cheaper, ounce for ounce, than these other brands. When you divide our products' nutritional density by food budget dollars spent, we're really the best deal in town." Learn more at www.wholesome- goodness.com. A COMPLETE FOOD EXPERIENCE AT FRUIT CENTER MARKETPLACE By Richard Thompson The winters in Milton, Massachusetts bring brisk cold-snaps and 30 degree rains to its historic red-brick buildings and famous waterfront restaurants. Red-cheeked children skate on the frozen brook in nearby Cunningham Park and short horn blasts from incom- ing barges are carried over the sea air all the way to East Milton Square. It's here that residents put on their Red Sox embroidered scarves and head out into the cold, because they know that if they want some of Mike's Fresh Sushi or need to stop by Kinnealey's Meat Shop for a whole chicken, they have to make it to the Fruit Center Marketplace. "This is a family run business that's been around for 42 years now," says Michael Dwyer, Marketing Director for the Fruit Center Marketplace Milton. Focused on specialty and gourmet prod- ucts, Dwyer says that residents come here because its a place they can trust. "From bread and butter to paper goods and detergents, all the stuff you'd find at a regular grocery store, you'll find here – with countless gourmet items as well." The Fruit Center Marketplace, named by "The Boston Globe" as one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts for four years running, began in 1973 with the simple idea of providing exceptional produce to cus- tomers in the South Shore community. Its loyal base and reputation quickly saw business expand, so the original store was replaced with two locations to meet demand – one in Milton and a smaller location found down the road in Hingham. Says Dwyer, "Folks come to us because they're looking for the com- plete food experience." The Milton Marketplace, in which Fruit Center Marketplace resides, is a 10,000 square-foot two-story building that houses the Fruit Center Marketplace on the first floor, while upstairs, customers will find an assort- ment of stores and a gourmet eatery, The Plate, that makes for a complete shopping experience. According to Dwyer, the layout is designed this way to entice customers to stay and shop: "We have a range of customers; some who shop here weekly for their gro- ceries and leave, while others spend the entire day here, shopping upstairs before picking up some bananas and a few takeaway items to bring home for dinner. Different customers...different purposes." The grocery store itself is home to an assortment of gourmet and specialty departments that are locally sourced, high-end and are highly regarded by both customers and upscale restaurants. Dwyer says that an important factor in choosing their partners was that these companies have experience in working with hotels and restaurants and special- ize in high-quality products. He said, "This is certainly not usual for any other grocery retailer." Inside, customers are offered a selection of locally sourced produce from the Boston area, a 40 foot salad bar that boasts over 100 fresh items everyday, a baked goods display, an olive bar and even a line of prepared meals and side dishes such as meatloaf, chicken Parmesan, scallops au gratin and butternut squash, for those busy shoppers looking for something to eat without dealing with the hassle of cook- ing. Mike's Fresh Sushi, which part- nered in 2008, specializes in all things raw, making all of its products in-house, right on the floor. While there is no seating available, shoppers are able to pick up restaurant style sushi and take it home without a second thought. Everyday, the itamae – or sushi chef – behind the bar creates 10 to 12 varieties of sushi ranging from traditional California rolls to more creative sushi offerings like eel with strawberries. Kinnealey's Meat Shop, which has worked alongside the Fruit Center for nearly 30 years, is its own business run inside the marketplace and is a high-end meat purveyor that caters to high-end restaurants and hotels in the Boston area. Aged sirloin steaks, veal cutlets, pork ribs, game, sausage and organic poultry options are all offered by the specialty butcher. On the second floor of The Marketplace, shoppers will encounter the newly opened restaurant, The Plate, offering customers a sit-down compli- ment to the food-center motif down- stairs. "The new cafe will offer an inventive dining experience with a par- tially open kitchen," says Suzanne Lombardi, Chef and Owner of The Plate. Says Dwyer, "Suzanne [Lombardi] has a long and impressive food back- ground in Boston and we know from her two wildly successful past enter- prises that she could bring homemade food and innovative dishes to Fruit Center." The 2,600 square-foot marketplace cafe serves handmade, gourmet break- fasts and lunches Tuesday through Sunday, allowing patrons to enjoy its reclaimed wood décor, natural sunlight and variety of seating options. Everything from commuter breakfasts for on-the-go professionals to organic eggs and smoked bacon dishes are offered as eat-in or take out choices. Lombardi even makes her own English muffins and jams. After filling themselves up at The Plate, shoppers who meander upstairs will find a small assortment of retail merchants selling clothes, jewelry and toys. The Gift Garden carries a selec- tion of upscale women's clothing and jewelry plus greeting cards, cookbooks, candles and ceramics, while The Nutshell focuses solely on children's clothing. Rounding out the second floor is The Toy Chest, a toy store that harkens back to a simpler time, where customers can treat their grand-kids, nieces and nephews with toys that don't require batteries or AC adapters. "It's a traditional toy store," says Dwyer. During certain times of the year, the Fruit Center works collaboratively with the retailers upstairs for social and shopping events such as a "stroll" night where shoppers can go to the second floor and take advantage of special deals, and then come downstairs to enjoy some wine tasting and cheese and chocolate sampling downstairs. Says Dwyer, "Having regular prod- uct samplings within the store, a busy restaurant and a wide range of products that customers desire not only brings them back, but they tend to come back with greater frequency."