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GREENWICH, Conn. — Aiming to satisfy the growing appetite for healthy eating in Greenwich, Green & Tonic's Cos Cob location celebrated its grand opening Tuesday by boasting its completely plant-based menu.
The husband-and-wife team of Jeffrey and Cai Boldt Pandolfino founded the quick-service restaurant on the principle of "food as a foundation for well-being," according to a statement. Green & Tonic's delicacies contain no preservatives but are packed with the nutrients needed for an active lifestyle.
"It's an alternative place for people to get healthy food, which, ironically, we don't have in Greenwich," said Jeffrey Pandolfino.
The 1,000-square-foot restaurant in Cos Cob is an extension of the Green & Tonic brand that the Pandolfinos introduced online in 2010, according to a statement. The 12-seat location is in the same neighborhood as the Plum Pure Foods, which the couple previously ran for five years. In early March, they also opened a 450-square-foot takeout-only location in Darien.
"The goal is for you to not have to wait for your food," Pandolfino said. "We're taking the classic takeout food and making it plant based."
Green & Tonic's menu includes cold-pressed juices, smoothies, wraps, salads, soups and snacks. Juices cost $6 to $7.50, wraps are $8 and large enough to share with a friend, and entree salads are $9.50.
Among juices, the "green monster" is the most popular, Pandolfino said. The drink includes kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley and green apples blended together without ice or yogurt. The most popular wrap is the avocado and nutritional yeast, which tastes just like Parmesan cheese and includes pine nuts and crunchy greens, he said.
An investor group is eager to explore the possibility of restaurants elsewhere in Connecticut, including New Canaan, Westport and downtown Stamford, Pandolfino said.
"I think we opened up people's eyes to something new."
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