What seems like a project that launched overnight is becoming a popular spot on Hillsborough Street. Freshii, a new restaurant located next to Jimmy John’s, opened March 9 and offers students an array of healthy eating options. 

Freshii opened its first store in Toronto in 2005, according to its website. Its menu features a wide selection of juices, salads and wraps. The Hillsborough Street location has taken the place of the old Dunkin’ Donuts. 

Paul Hutchens, the general manager of this location and an NC State alumnus, said that Freshii is continuing to expand. Hutchens’ father and uncle are the two franchise holders for North Carolina, and his uncle is also an NC State alumnus. 

“Currently we are building out of Charlotte and the Triangle area,” Hutchens said. “There will be eight more stores coming.”

The Hillsborough Street location is the third one in North Carolina and the second that Hutchens and his family own. The other one they own is in Charlotte, while Freshii’s corporate location for North Carolina is on Elon University’s campus. 

“There are 100 locations in, I believe, nine countries,” Hutchens said. “There are currently 99 more in development.”

Hutchens, along with his father and uncle, knew all along that Charlotte and the Triangle area would be their targeted areas for expansion. Since Hutchens went to NC State he said he always hoped to have a location in Raleigh.

“Hillsborough Street was something that we kind of identified with early on as a place that we really wanted to find a location and it just so happened that there became a perfect location after Dunkin’ Donuts moved out,” he said. 

Hutchens began his Freshii career working at the location his family runs in Charlotte when it opened in September 2013. He said that his family has been in the food industry for a number of years. His father, John Hutchens, was an executive at Harris Teeter for most of his life and his uncle, James Hutchens, is a chef, among other things. 

“They were just trying to find something to invest in together and my uncle stumbled upon Freshii about four years ago,” Hutchens said. “It takes a little bit of time just to get things started, finding the right location and so on. There’s a lot of red tape you have to go through.”

After sorting out all the details, Hutchens said they successfully opened up their first restaurant. One of the main reasons that he and his family were attracted to the business was because of the health and pro-economic benefits that came with it.

“The youth is really focused on being eco-friendly, and we are very eco-friendly,” he said. “All of our utensils and to-go bowls are made from cornstarch. The company is also not only eco-friendly but healthy too.”

Hutchens said it is becoming common nowadays for people to prefer eating fresh and nutritious as opposed to unhealthy and fattening meals.

Emily Weaver, a senior double majoring in political science and communication, said she enjoyed her experience at Freshii.

“Overall, it was a good experience,” Weaver said. “When I went, it wasn’t busy, but they did make my food fairly fast while I watched them make it in front of me, and the staff was friendly and worked quickly.”

Weaver also said she felt that what she got there was worth the price she paid.

“I got the Tex Mex burrito, and it was good,” Weaver said. “It was the same cost as what I would normally pay for a burrito, it was fresh and a large helping. So yes, it was worth the cost.”

Madison Moss, a junior studying biology, also enjoyed her Freshii purchase, which was a smoothie. 

“I got the Freshii Green Smoothie, and it was absolutely delicious,” Moss said. “It was light, but at the same time, filling. I would definitely go to Freshii again.” 

Hutchens said he and his family stand firm in their hopes of opening eight more locations in the future.

“We’re targeting areas that have high foot traffic,” Hutchens said. “This is because the brand is not as well-established as a Subway or Jimmy John’s or whatnot, and getting into an area where there is already foot traffic means you won’t have to spend as much money on getting billboards and other stuff to advertise.”