Meet Mitchell Anderson of MetroFresh in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchell Anderson.

Mitchell, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After a successful 20-year acting career on television, film, and stage, I was ready to leave show business and find my second act. Having met my partner, Richie Arpino, now my husband, in 1997, I decided to move to Atlanta from Los Angeles in 2002. I had always loved cooking and the social interaction that food provides. I met Jennifer Levison, Atlanta’s own “Souper Jenny,” and asked her if I could apprentice in her Buckhead kitchen. She took me in and we immediately clicked. She taught me all aspects of the restaurant business and after nearly three years in her kitchen, sent me on my way to start my own business. MetroFresh opened on October 10, 2005. We were a tiny, 1250 SF restaurant with only 24 seats inside. MetroFresh was a big hit immediately with both the neighborhood diners and the businesses that line the Peachtree corridor.

For 11 years now, we have served thousands of people our daily menu of healthy and creative soups, salads, sandwiches, breakfast and dinner entrees. We expanded the restaurant in 2013 to include the storefront next to ours. We now enjoy 2500 SF, with 50 seats inside the restaurant and 50 seats under a covered patio. We took the opportunity in the expansion to completely renovate the restaurant. We were able, after 7 years, to use the talent of our amazing branding/design consultant, Lindsay Denman, to create a space that is reflective of the MetroFresh brand. We included a 14 seat wine bar inside and a 14 seat communal table on the patio.

We now serve 400+ people each day.

MetroFresh has developed a thriving catering business with clients all over the Atlanta Metro. Catering now accounts for 15-20% of our annual revenue.

I firmly believe that MetroFresh’s success is due to our fidelity to the mission statement we created in 2005. That is, “MetroFresh is an ‘Urban Oasis.” We believe, healthy and creative food should not be out of reach for the casual diner. And that our guests come for the food, but return for the experience.”

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say that in our case, the road has been mostly smooth. I’ve been very lucky in hiring a great staff, many of whom have been with me for more than five or six years. My executive chef, Bryan Kraatz, with whom I share creative responsibilities in the MetroFresh kitchen just celebrated his 10 year MetroFresh anniversary.

Surely, the recession was a little difficult for us, as it was for most US businesses. But because we offer an affordable “everyday” culinary option, we were not hit as hard as many restaurants.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about MetroFresh – what should we know?
MetroFresh is known for creative and healthy food, served with love and care to casual diners. If you were to ask around town I think people would point out our soups and salads as our number 1 attraction. But I also think we’re known for our awesome, friendly, helpful and fun staff. They interact with the guests with such ease. Everyone, even during a busy lunch rush, has a great time. One of our most valued staff members, PJ, greets the customers at the door with hugs. We even changed the name of the restaurant on April Fools Day a couple years ago to “PJ’s Place!”

There are a couple things that set us apart from our competition. The first is our menu that changes daily. It’s healthy and creative, but it’s also both comforting and challenging. People who say they don’t like beets or Brussels Sprouts or have never tried persimmons or quinoa, have ours and suddenly they are fans. We give people the opportunity to taste all of our soups and salads before they buy. Their hardest decision is narrowing it down to just two or three choices.

And all this is done with great humor and professionalism by my staff. The result is that we have regular customers who come in multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day.

I’m really proud of the restaurant we have created over the last 11 years because of the food and the service we offer, but I’m also proud of our commitment to our community. We have fostered relationships with our three area public schools, supporting many of their extra-curricular programs with donations of food and money. We have hosted many fund raisers over the last decade to help small nonprofits raise funds. We have nurtured people back to health, helped them live a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. We have celebrated happy occasions with our customers and comforted them in sorrow.

My happiest moments are when I see on longtime customer introducing a friend or colleague to MetroFresh. They treat the restaurant like it’s theirs – they have “ownership” in the experience. I really think that’s why we have been so successful for so long.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Our dedication to great food, and our dedication to an awesome customer experience through great service.

As the owner, I have been flattered many times in the last decade with offers of expansion. Real estate developers, potential investors, franchisers, and many people from out of town, often tempt me with offers to open more locations all over the Atlanta Metro and in different parts of the country. While I have flirted with the idea and even looked for new spaces, each time, I have come back to what makes MetroFresh special, and have kindly turned them down. For me, as the owner and chief creative force, I find my personal happiness is in the day to day of running this particular restaurant. I love the days I’m in the kitchen creating our menu. I love the interaction I can have every day with my staff and my customers. And I’m wary of spreading myself around in the pursuit of a larger enterprise.

I feel my customers recognize my ongoing commitment to this location and appreciate that I’m not constantly trying to expand and find the next thing out there.

Pricing:

• Most Popular Lunch – “The Pick Two” – $11
• Breakfast Entrees – Between $6-$9
• Dinner Entrees served with a side or soup – Between $13.95-$18.95

Contact Info:

• Address: MetroFresh Inc.
  931 Monroe Dr., Suite A-106
  Atlanta, GA 30308
• Website: www.metrofreshatl.com
• Phone: 404-724-0151
• Email: mitchell@metrofreshatl.com
• Instagram: metrofreshatl
• Facebook: metrofreshatl
• Twitter: @metrofreshatl