Coquitlam residents now have somewhere close to home to order fresh salads, soups, bowls and wraps with the opening of The Chopped Leaf in Sunwood Square Mall.
The newest store adds to the franchise's stable of restaurants located across Canada.
Originally started by Blair Stevens in Kelowna, The Chopped Leaf now has more than 100 locations from coast to coast, including in Fremont Village in Port Coquitlam.
The newest quick service restaurant is located at 260-3025 Lougheed Hwy. in the same mall where Save-On-Foods and Popeye's Louisiana Chicken recently opened.
Among the goals of Sunwood Square's Chopped Leaf is to provide guests with "fresh, delicious and flavourful meals paired with exclusive signature dressings," the company states on its website.
"Our chef-designed menu is always made using fresh ingredients with bold, wholesome and delicious flavours. Our belief is that flavour should not be sacrificed when fuelling on-the-go, and that food plays a key role in living a balanced and fulfilled life.
"We celebrate people’s unique dietary needs and offer something for everyone. From vegan and vegetarian, to kid-friendly and gluten-friendly options, our fresh and customizable salads, bowls, wraps and soups have been designed with you in mind."
In a video, founder Stevens describes how he and his wife started the restaurant in Kelowna with the idea of creating fresh food.
They started with a Romaine-based salad, ingredients and a dressing they discovered during their travels.
The name came from the idea that the vegetables are "chopped" in front of customers, for freshness.
Surpassing its goal for store openings since 2015, including navigating growth during the COVID pandemic, the brand is now aiming to double its store openings in the next five years, according to a news release accompanying the opening of its 100th store last year.
The Chopped Leaf is owned and managed by Innovative Food Brands.
