Bringing fresh local food in a fast casual setting, newcomers to the Arizona market, MAD Greens is trying change the way we see eating healthy.
The restaurant offers a wide range of salads and wraps, all based of of mad people through history. Salads include things like the Edgar Allen Poe (Baby Greens, Grilled Marinated Steak, Apples, Pears, Walnuts, Blue Cheese with Port Wine Vinaigrette), and the Don Quixote (Baby Greens, Grilled Piri Piri Shrimp, Mango, Roasted Corn, Jack Cheese, Avocado with Creamy Ginger Dressing).
MAD Greens was started in Colorado 11 years ago by lifelong friends Marley and Dan (MAD) who wanted to bring a healthy yet good tasting option to the market.
“There aren’t a lot of restaurants out there that are addressing the healthy-for-you option today, but when we first started people thought we were crazy focusing on salad,” said Marley Hodgson, co-founder of MAD Greens.
Marley and Dan saw the success of companies like Noodles and Co. and Chipotle, and saw what made them different than other fast foods out there.
“We saw them start, and we said to ourselves that’s what’s missing. It’s not homogenized food. They are using better ingredients,” said Dan Long, co-founder of MAD Greens.
But the pair doesn’t want to be considered a health restaurant, just a place to go and get a good meal.
“We didn’t want to be confused with the whole facet of health restaurants, we wanted it to be fun and interesting, we want people to understand that they can have great tasting food, and it can be healthy,” Marley said.
As of now the pair has opened two locations in Arizona, one in Tempe Marketplace, and one on Scottsdale, with plans to add three more locations in the state this year.
MAD Greens is also unique in focusing on locally sourcing as much of their produce that they can.
They’ve employed Abbey Leaf Farms in Buckeye to grow all the tomatoes they use in their Arizona stores, and are working with them directly to pick up the produce.
“We’re picking them up 4 times a week, instead of going through a distributor. These tomatoes are being picked same day, so instead of those tomatoes sitting at the distributor for ten days, they’re fresh,” Marley said.
It’s often said that between price, flavor, and speed you can only pick two, but MAD Greens is out to challenge that notion.
“You can’t do a restaurant without taking the food seriously, and hospitality,” Dan said, “People think you have to sacrifice customer service or taste for speed, or to have the price point where it is, and honestly that’s not something we agree with.”
