Find out more about Crisp, the rising farm-to-table restaurant
QSR Media talked to Edward Tolfree, founder of Crisp Creative Salad, to grasp how it differs from the competition, and what the brand plans for its future.
The brand is a multi-site operation that is a wholly-owned family business with 6 locations across Australia. It offers choices which range from ordering from a chef-developed menu, or adding your own twist, or creating something from scratch.
QSR Media: How would you describe the brand?
Simple, fresh, and honest. Crisp is all about providing real food for real customers, to make it easy to have a healthy balance.
QSR Media: What sets you apart?
We are passionate about eating real food. We own a 100-acre farm in the Macedon Ranges in Victoria where we grow produce for the shops, try out new flavours and educate our staff on seasonal produce.
Crisp is also unique because we are a multi-site operation that is a wholly owned family business. This means that we stay close to our customers and our staff, and can respond quickly to their changing needs.
QSR Media: Who is your typical customer?
Our customers are typically working in the CBD, from the mailroom to the boardroom, and are looking for something healthy and nutritious to allow them to keep powering through the day. We have people coming in straight from a workout, or those at the very start of their wellness journey. We even have some generous employers who pay for their staff to eat at Crisp because they know that good food powers productivity.
QSR Media: How do you differentiate Crisp in the salad category?
At Crisp all salads are made fresh to order, nothing is pre-made; it's the only way to eat salad. And the customer is in control of their choices; the menu is completely flexible and all items; breakfast, smoothies and salads, can be created by the customer according to their tastes and preferences or dietary requirements.
QSR Media: How does the brand stay ahead of the competition with the emerging healthy food concept in the market?
The healthy food concept has only just begun and we see great potential as people pay more attention to what their food is doing for them; positive and negative. At Crisp we embrace the growth of this market, because that means people are being good to themselves. We work with other operators in this space, including gyms, wellness providers, healthy snack manufacturers, and employers to support and promote this trend.
QSR Media: How has the partnership with Mealpal been so far? What have you learned?
The nature of retail is changing. We have to embrace all forms of technology, especially those that help our customers get what they want, and in a way that suits their busy lifestyle. We have offered online ordering since we opened 5 years ago, and we will embrace the new tech solutions as they emerge. We have tracked the progress of MealPal internationally and they are a welcome addition to our business.
