What if we told you that Goodness not only nailed the vegan burger, but that it rivals some of your favorites?
Those are large shoes to fill, but Goodness was up to the challenge. The founding team says they are taking a “radical and innovative mindset that requires a disciplined focus on reengineering ‘bad’-for-you foods into good-for-you foods without sacrificing flavor.”
While Goodness, along with many other restaurants, were focused on survival during the pandemic, they also focused on adapting to macro-consumption trends and taking a leap into innovation.
Offering healthy options is not new for Goodness. They’ve delivered healthier food alternatives since day one. However, today the restaurant finds itself with a much more deeply rooted and purposeful mission. While the focus has always been serving great tasting food that is also healthy, that focus has expanded to include these three principles:
- Inspire self-nourishment and happiness
- Positively impact the world by using sustainable food items and packaging.
- Partner with brands that have made it their purpose to find GOOD, sustainable and plant-based foods.
Starting with the burger, Goodness has sourced local whole wheat buns, Impossible Foods burger patties instead of beef, and fresh vegetables from local Arizona farmers.
“We focused on creating a delicious burger first — without that, we have nothing,” said Goodness Executive chef Daniel Thomas. “We tested many cheese alternatives since we knew we needed this to be a solid cheeseburger to get anywhere. We really wanted to focus on good farm practices, carbon footprint, value for our guests, all while maintaining that Big Juicy Burger Energy. We ended up with a plant-based burger that hit every mark.”
Then there’s the Chorizo & Egg Burrito:
“For this, it’s the same thing — the eggs are an egg substitute produced by Just Egg, and our chorizo is soy-based and made in house. Our whole wheat tortillas are made locally by Alejandro’s Tortilla Factory. You have to choose who you work with. We like to say we are a ‘scratch kitchen with a conscience.’ Who we choose to make our food with really does matter, as it tells you what we care about.”
This is the approach the Goodness team has taken for each menu item on the entire menu, not just the burgers and burritos. For instance, the Smoked Salmon Toast features responsibly sourced salmon served over sourdough produced by neighboring friends August Rhodes.
This is far and away from your typical juice and salad restaurant — it’s a much more holistic approach to food. The result feels more like a health-focused lifestyle brand, poised to change your eating habits and maybe even raise the collective conscience.
For anyone looking to stay up to speed on Goodness, sign up for their newsletter where their subscribers regularly get treats and discounts and stay well-informed on new things in the works. Goodness is located at 2502 N. Campbell and is open daily from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, visit goodnessfresh.com.
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