When I heard about Evos being an organic, healthier, more sustainable, and all around greener fast food chain, I have to say I was dubious of the claims. I figured that they might just have an organic milkshake (which they do) or used recycled paper products (which they also do) and that would be the extent of their sustainability portfolio. Well, I was wrong. After having the pleasure of eating there today, and talking with the owner, I’ve got to say I’m shocked that a ‘fast food’ chain (though the label isn’t fitting) can have such high sustainable aspirations and still be relatively affordable and certainly delicious.

Being Green In A Greasy Gray Industry

Evos was started in Florida in 1994 and has since grown into a franchise with locations in California, North Carolina, Georgia, And Florida. Evos business model is built on sustainability and while they don’t purport to be a health food or vegetarian establishment, they do employ a lot of sustainable and healthier methods and practices both in the food itself and the operation of the business. Though similar in concept to places like Chipotle, Evos takes a more holistic approach to sustainability, which is how true sustainability is achieved. Instead of selecting small aspects of the business or food to ‘green up’, Evos has evaluated and addressed almost every environmental facet of the chain’s operation.

One thing that I found was notably absent from the establishment was that greasy deep-fried stench that permeates through most fast food places. The reason? No dirty oil deep-fryers,  gas or coal flame broilers, or high heat greasy grills. Their fries, which are awesome, are cooked using their signature air-baking method which uses hot circulating air to cook the fries instead of oil. This not only makes for a lower fat crispier fry, but it also produces much less waste since the air is being reused and there is no waste oil to dump out (sorry biofuel people looking for some free oil).

Sustainability In Action

Some of Evos’ other sustainable highlights include:

- Burgers, fries, and shakes that are 50-70% less fat.

- They use the most minimally processed organic (when possible) ingredients and food products for their menu including humanely and naturally raised beef, chicken, and fish with no added hormones or antibiotics.

- Offset 1/3 of the energy powering their stores through wind energy.

- Use sustainable and energy efficient materials and equipment in the building of our stores.

- Print guest materials on recycled paper with soy based inks vs. petroleum based inks; use biodegradable plastic guest bags; and recycle cardboard content coming from their kitchens.

- Support Certified Organic and Fair Trade ingredients and products whenever possible.

- 20% of their menu is vegetarian.

The one thing amidst all of this seemingly endless attention to every sustainable detail that I found glaringly out place was the fact that they were using styrofoam cups?! Even McDonald’s doesn’t do that. So when I approached the owner and asked what the hell was going on (I didn’t say it like that) he explained to me that they were switching to corn plastic, which is a relatively better choice, and the styrofoam was a temporary solution to a cup shortage they were experiencing with the newly opened location. I certainly hope this is the case considering having a cup made of polystyrene that will outlive human civilization is anything but sustainable.

So keep an eye out in your area for Evos and give it a try. If you care about what you eat, and recognize that spending a buck or two extra on healthier ingredients for your body is worth the investment in your overall health and planetary well-being, then you’ll like this place.

The Good: A ‘fast food’ chain that is the polar opposite of it’s competition by offering organic healthy ingredients, sustainable business practices, and an overall attention to every environmental aspect of its operation. The food is great.

The Bad: Though healthier due to the quality and purity of the ingredients, the majority of the menu still isn’t healthy. People may incorrectly assume that since the burger and fries they’re eating are organic, it won’t make them fat or unhealthy when eaten in excess. Slightly more expensive than your  typical McDonald’s meal, but you pay for what you get. In comparison to other chains, they have very few locations. Many of the stores occupy leased locations that are not sustainably designed or built.

The Bottom-Line: A sustainably-minded fast food chain doing what I figured to be impossible by offering healthier organic foods to customers in a format that they are familiar with.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY RATING:

YOUR SUSTAINABILITY RATING:

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