Beautifull Fresh Foodspace

(Post: English)
"Eric Greenberg When Eric Greenberg, an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, learned he was pre-diabetic, he overhauled his lifestyle."

The then-275-lb. New York native gradually revamped his diet and built up to three-hour runs, losing 70 pounds.

He also was inspired to launch a new venture, Beautifull, which would serve fresh, prepared foods free of hormones, steroids, and antibiotics, such as Golden Beet Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette for $5 and Tea Smoked Salmon and Red Quinoa-Edamame Salad for $13.

Greenberg, 45, says do not always use healthful ingredients. For example, they might use white flour, butter, and refined sugar.

He hired a team of experienced Bay Area chefs and a licensed nutritionist to create great tasting food that focuses on nutrition rather than calories.

Established in mid-2007 with undisclosed investments from Greenberg's own venture firm Innovation Investments, where he is still chief executive, and Mohr Davidow Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif., Beautifull began as a meal-delivery service reaching 300 customers a week, but last April it opened a "fresh foodspace," or a retail dine-in and take-out store, in San Francisco.

The new outlet boosted sales to nearly 2,500 customers per week and to date has had over 60,000 transactions.

Beautifull, which now has 20 full-time and 20 part-time staffers, expects $1.5 million in revenue this year and to be up to eight stores by the end of 2010.

"It's about real food," says Greenberg. "Eating fresh, natural, whole food is more effective than treatment and drugs."

Source: BusinessWeek