Toronto Through the Eyes of Freshii Founder Matthew Corrin
Matthew Corrin is a risk taker. He may not seem like one during our recent lunch over a bowl of salad at Freshii, his highly successful (and healthy) quick service restaurant chain, but how else to explain someone who takes a well known and established business called Lettuce Eatery and changes its name overnight?
The move was bold, if not highly controversial. The official impetus for the name change starts with the chain's expansion to Chicago in 2008. Corrin wanted to evolve the menu to include other popular (and higher margin) offerings like rice bowls, breakfast and burritos. But with a name like Lettuce Eatery customers would always think of salad first. So he changed the name for the US market where he expects to have hundreds of franchises within the decade.
But therein lied the problem. Once the new name was in place in the US, it was highly inefficient to have a separate brand (but same product offerings) in Toronto so he decided to change the name here too, keeping his fingers crossed that the chain's throngs of loyal customers wouldn't mind. So far, it doesn't seem to have backfired.
Except there was the Fresh controversy. Back in April, Torontoist chatted up Fresh founder Ruth Tal Brown who told them she wasn't too pleased that she now found a competing restaurant across the street from hers at Richmond and Spadina with similar offerings and, suddenly, almost the exact same name.
Corrin took the defensive, claiming that it was all just a coincidence and that he didn't even realize that Brown's mini vegetarian empire wasn't still called Juice for Life.
Was his explanation believable? After speaking with the Freshii founder in-person, via phone and over Skype I can say that I'm almost certain that Fresh was totally off his radar. The reality is that Corrin doesn't know Toronto that well. He grew up in Winnipeg, has worked and lived in Manhattan and Chicago and had never heard of a number of restaurants I named during one of our conversations. What does he think of the custom salad offerings at Urban Herbivore? Never heard of it. What about the burritos at Chino Locos? He doesn't know that place either.
You see, Corrin isn't focused on the competition. He spends his time worrying about things that are within his control like how to find affordable eco-friendly packaging for his restaurants; or how to best train and motivate his employees.
It's probably why he's been so successful, obsessed with improving and growing the Freshii business; and when asked, taking the time to chat with the New York Times, the Globe and Mail and me.
You're originally from Winnipeg. What was your first impression of the city when you moved here?
I moved to Toronto for the first time from NYC to start Freshii (Lettuce Eatery at the time). So, it seemed like a small city compared to New York - kind of like a mini NYC. Then i moved from Toronto to Chicago and spent two years in Chicago....Now I'm back in Toronto and realize that it really does have the best elements of NYC and the best of Chicago mixed into one....but when they come together it makes Toronto better than both.
In what neighbourhood do you currently live?
Yonge and St. Clair.
What are some of your favourite local haunts?
There are three dog parks and two playgrounds within a five minute walk from my house. The Beltline is where I spend at least one hour a day running. Cava is a great restaurant. I eat at Freshii approximately two times per day. Basically I live on top of it....
Describe how you would spend an ideal weekend afternoon in the city?
My daughter doesn't understand the concept of a weekend....She wakes up around 5.30am. so starting from there....quad espresso over ice at Starbucks. Walk with my wife to the dog park, hit the playground for Annie, go for a run, do some work, tour some of my restaurants to check in, stop in at Harry Rosen (my favorite retailer in the city). I'd then put Annie to bed and head out for dinner with my wife. Sushi probably, ideally with friends - which is a great time to catch up. I travel a lot during the week so weekends is my time with family and friends.
Who are some local restauranteurs that you admire?
I wouldn't call myself a foodie...but things that get me excited are superior brands, great buzz/vibe, awesome service; and that all equals usually jam-packed restaurants. Some examples are Terroni, Brassaii (where I got married) and any of Mark McEwan's places. I'm really impressed with his business savvy for picking amazing locations and driving great buzz and great people to his restaurants and grocery stores.
Who else in the city makes a good salad, wrap or rice bowl?
i don't eat salad/wrap/rice from anywhere without a 'ii' at the end.
You're all about fresh ingredients. When you shop for home, where do you like to buy your meats and vegetables?
You wouldn't believe if you saw our fridge....It's basically empty. We takeout from Freshii four night a week. One night we get some sushi and another we have pizza. The other night is a date night when my in-laws have a sleepover with our 18 month old.
Where do you like to eat sushi and pizza?
Pizza Pizza. I like the thin wholewheat crust. Also, Terroni, Sushi Inn, Takara Sushi at Yonge and Delisle Avenue. A side note: I always bring Freshii bags to save the nickel. It always makes me smirk when i carry my sushi or pizza in a Freshii bag....
What made Toronto a good city to start a restaurant chain like Freshii?
The city is cosmopolitan, mass affluent and has high density intersections. Our restaurants introduced a new way of serving quick service food that had really never been done before we opened in Toronto.
By my count Freshii is up to 13 locations including the new one in Liberty Village. How many locations do you think Toronto will have three years from now?
We have legal commitments (ie: signed franchise documents) to open another nine over the next three years.
You don't have any locations east of Church. Why no love for the east side?
We need to find the right pockets with enough business traffic to support them. Any ideas? I used to live east of Church! Lot's of love....
There aren't a lot of high density areas on the east side....maybe the Danforth across from the Big Carrot....maybe the Beaches.
I drove along the Danforth three times last weekend to and from a friend's wedding....I was thinking that strip as well - near Big Carrot. Exactly.
Comments (52)
I salute Corrin for his entrepreneurial spunt but not for his lack of imagination...He stole the concept from Choptd in NYC and then expanded by copying the menu from the vegetarian restaurant Fresh...and basically their name. Says he hadn't heard of them? What kind of entrepreneur sets up shop without doing a competitive analysis? Hard to believe
No one I know who knows anything about food likes Freshii...their ingredients are poor quality, too much dressing and their rice bowls swim in salty sauce...yuck
He actually voluntarily eats at Pizza Pizza regularly? This explains why Freshii's food is so lousy. The founder has no taste buds.
Fooled me once with Lettuce when I tried them. The quality and service has nose dived considerably over the years. A name change will not solve that.
Lettuce (or freshii) has terrible food. They sloppily pre-make their salads and let them sit their all day getting soggy. I emailed the company after my first, and only, visit there to complain and was told they would improve their service. They even said they would mail me a coupon for a free meal. Looks like nothing's changed.. And the coupon never came either.
I call bullshit on not knowing Fresh. There was a picture of him in Macleans at the Lettuce location that is right across the street from Fresh. And the menu changed after they moved there, seemingly to compete for the valuable lunch crowd at Spadina and Richmond.
I've also stopped going because too frequently the veggies have turned and I end up feeling ill later.
I agree! I think profiling Toronto entrepreneurs is an excellent and inspiring idea. Fascinating to read. Thanks!
Thanks for the article. I've never gone to Freshii and now I never will. It's one thing to get ideas from another restaurant, but stealing their name crosses the line. If he really didn't know of Fresh, he certainly should have considering they're right across the street. Based on the interview, it seems like he's more interested in making money than in offering good food to his clients.
I find it ironic that Lettuce changed its name as to not conflict with the Chicago restaurant operators, Lettuce Entertain You (LEYE) but had no issue with apeing Juice for Life's Fresh concept's name. Perhaps Fresh's people should have done a bit of homework and lawyering up.
I haven't eaten Freshii's food offerings, but used to enjoy the salad offerings at Lettuce, until I had the misfortune of being served brown lettuce and slimy vegetables in a $9 salad. That was enough to turn me off eating there forever.
with comments like this: "You see, Corrin isn't focused on the competition." either the guy is a dope or the interviewer for believing him. When you write, Tim, a little critical thinking wouldn't hurt; instead, you take your interviewee's opinion and pronouncements as gospel - makes for a weak article and makes you look incompetent. On the side: I went to Lettuce a couple of times, it was mediocre like this article.
I get salads from the Richmond location several days a week and the quality is fine -- not spectacular, but certainly equivalent to Sandwich Box or le Gourmand (I've never tried Fresh; & never even knew they did the custom salad thing... I thought it was all brown rice & hippies). They're definitely not premade. Frankly, I don't care if they "stole" the concept or the name; not my problem.
I haven't been to Freshii since they changed their name from Lettuce. Too many salads with brown, soggy or rotten lettuce and less than fresh ingredients for the price. Plus, either the dressing or whatever they wash the salad in disagrees with me. I also call bullshit on not knowing about Fresh. His location on Richmond is kitty corner from Fresh and his rice bowls are a complete rip-off from their menu!
I went to the one at Bloor/Yonge and had no idea it was affiliated w/Lettuce...I think that's what they were hoping would happen. Yup, it was bad news. At first I actually thought it was like a fast-food spin off that Fresh(JFL) actually owned. Whoops, looks like someone's going to have some legal issues. Too bad that it isn't even that much cheaper than Fresh - a baby buddha bowl is the same size and price as their crappy rendition of one. The only difference is that the Freshii one had way too much rice and almost none of the alleged toppings, which weren't particularly plentiful, high quality, or fresh (as one would assume). The "sauce" was crappy kraft-style dressing. It's kind of hilarious I actually feel compelled to stick up for Fresh(JFL), because in general I think they need to get their heads out of their asses and stop being so precious about everything. I guess Freshii is the worst of two evils. I'm all for healthy food but blegh.
Seriously, what did Juice for Life expect when they changed their name to a generic word. Whoever championed that re-brand had their head up their ass.
I liked Lettuce enough when it first opened on Richmond a few years ago...I work in the area so it was a decent salad for lunch. I noticed the name change and the rice bowls that are a complete rip-off of Fresh, both in name and ingredients. The first thing I thought was "ohhh, Fresh is gonna be pissed." Freshii's version was decent enough the first time I had it. The second time was terrible...as someone else mentioned, mostly flavourless rice with very little toppings. It was so disappointing that I haven't gone back. I agree with the consensus that the quality has nosedived...and this guy really needs to stop pretending he's not aware of Fresh.
You're entitled to your opinion of course but I certainly didn't just regurgitate whatever Corrin told me. Consider that he's focused on creating an international brand so for a sit down, local, 3 location restaurant like Fresh (JFL) to be part of his competitive set is kind of a stretch. I'm sure he feels his main competition are the kind of places you'd find littered around the Financial District. Basically, fast food/quick service chains where you can get a meal to go for $8 or less. Not Fresh where you order from a waiter and pay $20 or more for a meal.
Fresh does take-out too...I've gotten rice bowls for lunch there plenty of times. They have two sizes and IIRC the smaller one is around $8. Go into the one on Spadina at lunch and it's a zoo.
This guy is either a sociopath or very stupid...who doesn't keep close tabs on the competition??? He eats twice a day at his own shops??? and no salads or wraps from any other place? What a load of crap. If his food offerings are as looney as his business ethic, Freshii is hooped.
I live at Yonge and College, I have both a Freshii and Salad Creations about 5 minutes away. Before Salad Creations came in, Freshii only offered 4 ingredients and for an extra charge you could get more. After Salad Creations came in with their Full Creation with unlimited ingredients (except protein) Freshii change their menu. So I guess they do look at the competition... when it suits them.
Since Salad Creations opened, I have stopped going to Freshii. They stopped serving iceberg lettuce (because they said it browns too quickly) but somehow Salad Creations has perfect iceberg lettuce... every time. Plus the service has gone downhill and I really don't like that you can't see what you are ordering. Apparently, that was changed in the design of their store because it slowed people down when ordering. Well I think the store is slow anyway now, so that isn't an issue.
When I walk into Freshii I get the same feeling when I walk into a small town mall where you can feel it is going out of business... not very appetizing when you are looking for a fresh salad.
@Andrew
Same experience. I also had a terrible salad at Freshii (Yonge/Eglinton location) and emailed them about the bad lettuce and wilted ingredients. Dan Cooper, Manager of Training and Recruitment emailed back within the hour promising a coupon but I've yet to receive it it and that was in May. I've never been back.
I definitely agree with Steven. Salad Creations is way better. The ingredients are fresher and they give you way more for your dollar. They need to open more locations and start running Freshii out of business!
I've boycotted Freshii for plastic abuse.
To make a salad they:
Put on a fresh pair of gloves, then threw throw them away
Mixed the salad in a plastic bag, then threw away the plastic bag
Put 'to stay' salads in a disposable plastic bowl
Even in the photo above, Matthew Corrin is eating out of a disposable container at his own restaurant.
It's disgusting.
As someone in Toronto that really loves and craves healthy fast food options, I really wish this guy would wake up and do his concept justice. I have tried Lettuce and was not 100% thrilled by the quality but went back time and time again because it was the closest thing to a healthy fast food option. After reading this, I will not go back because of his lack of integrity. He clearly is concerned about one thing and one thing only... CASH
All these salad places. People, you can buy a whole lettuce for 79c and you can make at least 5-6 salads out of that. Even if you add some leftover meat, it's still not going to cost you as much as these places charge.
"Freshii" is downright awful to the bone. They use Uncle Bens rice, low-grade ingredients and Kraft and other low-grade store bought dressings. They also advertised as being green and had separate recycling bins, which they all combined and threw away into the garbage. Real shame.
not fully related, but the coconut chicken soup at salad creations is like crack to me.
i can't go through a couple litres of that stuff every day...
Bullshit on not knowing the name. Any competent business person would have a trademark search done before opening or rebranding a business.
Doubt Juice for Life has a trademark on the word Fresh for a lawyer to find during a trademark search.
When a business is registered, a search can be done to look for similar businesses with similar names. Cost is $8.
http://www.ontario.ca/en/services_for_business/STEL02_039975
That search is for unincorporated businesses, but it is also possible to search for corporations. It is called a "NUANS", and cost ranges from about $10 to $150, depending on where it is done and how wide an area you need a search for.
That's all he had to do, and likely, did. As some have already mentioned, he would have to be a very incompetent business person to NOT do a thorough job of researching existing competition (which means ANY restaurant offering similar fare to his). Of course, looking across the street would have given him all he needed to know. What he did is unethical and unfair to Fresh (JFL). This guy walks in, grabs the name and steals ideas for his own business and expects us to believe he did it all innocently. Disgusting.
"Bad artists copy, great artists steal."
Get over the name stealing nonsense.
Who eats iceburg lettuce anyways? Absolutely tasteless and bland. Not to mention no nutritional value at all.
Screw you Freshii. I emailed you about getting the runs from a salad from Richmond/Spadina and you haven't replied.
I emailed Freshii to offer feedback on the changes they made to the menu - I was OFFERED a gift card - which I accepted with appreciation.
It never arrived. So I followed up, and followed up and finally after 3 months I received two cards. I wasn't persistent because I really wanted the free meal - it was a matter of customer service.
Matthew had the nerve to suggest that both cards that were sent to me somehow were "lost" in the mail. When I stated that I found it unlikely that both cards were "lost" he sent back a sarcastic reply. Totally unprofessional for a CEO.
I was a loyal customer. After finally picking up and using my gift cards I have never set foot in Freshii again.
Aren - THANK YOU!! freshii is probably one of the worst examples of green washing I have ever seen. They use a plastic bag to make every order and then throw it in the garbage. I was shocked when I went to write them and saw they have a Mission Green. Please... this hypocrisy is disgusting.
http://www.eatfreshii.com/manifesto-missiongreen.php
And do they pay the city 5 cents for each bag?
has it occurred to anyone that running a franchise chain is not really about the products? it is about making the franchise fees from new immigrants.. once they get the canadian citizenship, then it's over...it's more about making a profit as quickly as possible thru this concept and once it is no longer a fad, then come up with another one, and sell it to new immigrants who come to Canada on the condition of opening a business and hire x many canadian citizesn.. just like the dry cleaners.. etc.
I actually really like Freshii. There were one or two times when I went where they didn't make my order properly (forgetting ingredients, too much salad dressing, etc.) but the location at King and Church is pretty good.
I think ALL OF YOU who commented negatively, either WORK or are AFFILIATED with "FRESH, BY JUICE FOR LIFE" (that IS the name, isn't it?) Anyone with any common sense knows that you're NOT permitted to register a name without a similar name search being done. Matthew Corrin has never ONCE denied that he was inspired by the restaurant idea in New York... You are all jealous that he is a successful, young, (sexy) entrepreneur, who took a basic idea and is doing extremely well because of it. You all need to GET A LIFE!!! Corrin, I love Freshii... Neither myself, nor my 100's of friends and family members that go there have EVER had a bad experience. Keep up the amazing work!!!!
Thanks Sarah for your positive comment...it was refreshing after reading all of this negativity. It is amazing how people can focus on one incident and let it determine their entire outlook on an incredibly successful business. I only hope to be as successful as Corrin someday.
sarah and pam must be family or friends of Corrin, because the overwhelming majority of ppl have had bad experiences at Freshii, myself included. There have been more comments on this article than almost any other on blogto, showing how passionately disliked this establishment is. Corrin may be successful now, but the feedback on this article and the way he treats customers who provide feedback to him (by not fulfilling promises to send coupons) will not keep him in business long. Not listening to your customers = out of business.
And... no one is focusing on "one incident".... just a sampling of the complaints in the responses include:
1. low quality ingredients
2. not fresh food products
3. food poisoning
4. poor service
5. unfulfilled promises for change and coupons
6. rude service
7. copyright infringement
8. a lack of creativity and stealing other people's ideas
9. bad for the environment
just a sampling of the feedback... and several ppl with experiences with all of these.
It's one thing to have a rocky start as a food business and continually try to improve. It's another when you try to make a quick buck, don't listen to your customers, and ignore trying to improve your service. There's valuable information contained in the responses to this article. I doubt the owner of Freshii will do anything with it, judging from his track record.
I am actually not a friend or family member...just a business women who knows that if someone has had a bad experience with a business even once, they make it their focus to tell as many people as they can about their horrible experience. For some reason it makes them feel better to bring the entire business down with them. I understand that these complaints should be listened to, but who is to say that Matthew won't? You are all VERY quick to judge.
Wow, this seems so extreme! I had concerns about Freshii, I have been a customer there both now and when it was Lettuce. Last week I got a little annoyed that they were shaking my salad in what I thought was a plastic bag, so I did what any logical environmentally concious person would do, I sent them an email. To my delight they answered all my concerns, turns out all their bags and bowls are made of corn or other vegetable products, they don't use plastics at all, I can put their packaging in my compost, so cool! My point is before jumping to conclusions and going negative ask questions, don't just assume you know the facts, I made that mistake glad I was wrong. I will definately go back.
Andy seems to be totally on the attack. Look at the amount of work he has put into being bitter and spiteful, this guy must work for a competitor, either that or he lives alone in his parents basement. Seriously dude get a life. I have eaten at Freshii, enjoyed my meal, and am proud to see Canadians doing well.
DChristianson re: plastic bags
I did the same thing -- I investigated. I emailed the company but I haven't received a response. I also asked the staff in 2 stores and was told that the bags were plastic, so clearly the message isn't getting out.
From what I saw, freshii staff were putting the bags (corn or plastic) into the garbage. As you probably know, corn-based bags do not break down well in landfills because they lack the microorganisms and oxygen required for waste to biodegrade. They need to be composted in an industrial composting facility (i.e. from a green bin). From what I saw, that's not happening since my bags were put in the garbage by the staff before my rice bowl was put in the paper take-out container.
"You are all jealous that he is a successful, young, (sexy) entrepreneur, who took a basic idea and is doing extremely well because of it. You all need to GET A LIFE!!! Corrin, I love Freshii... Neither myself, nor my 100's of friends and family members that go there have EVER had a bad experience. Keep up the amazing work!"
WELCOME TO BLOGTO.COM MRS.CORRIN (mother or wife)
Oh, I dearly wanted to say something but I was told long ago from my own mom, that I should stay quiet if it wasn't kind. Besides, I don't want to be falsely accused of being FRESH or SALAD CREATIONS if I say something that might harm the little reputation that Corrin's disastrous interview has left behind. BTW, can you sue for food poisoning? Just wondering... any lawyers out there?
he is dishonest.
not only did he change the name to an already established successful busines, he also directly ripped off their branding, signage color, font, etc. compare their menu's...he clearly tried a direct rip off. Fresh uses all biodegrageable packaging. They have worked very hard over the years to build their business and their brand. I think it is vile that another would come in and do a direct rip off. The unfortunate part is that many probably go in thinking they are affiliated and are drastically disappointed, which hurts Fresh's business. Fresh is so much more than soppy salads. Freshii is a dishonest disgrace.
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