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True Food Kitchen

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True Food Kitchen
Company typePublic
IndustryRestaurant
GenreCasual dine-in
Founded2008 in Pheonix, Arizona
FounderDr. Andrew Weil and Sam Fox
Headquarters4455 E. Camelback Road, Suite A-115 Phoenix, Arizona, 85018
Number of locations
46 restaurants in the U.S (2024)
Area served
Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
ProductsSalads, bowls, sourdough pizzas, burgers, seasonal appetizers and entrees
Websitehttps://www.truefoodkitchen.com

True Food Kitchen (TFK) is an American restaurant chain that serves health-conscious food and focuses on the anti-inflammatory diet. The company was founded in 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona, by wellness author Dr. Andrew Weil and Sam Fox, CEO of Fox Restaurants Concepts.[1]

True Food Kitchen's headquarters is located in Phoenix, Arizona.[2] As of 2025, there are 46 restaurants in operation across the U.S.[3] The CEO is John Williams, who was hired in 2023.[4]

History/corporate

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The idea for True Food Kitchen sprung into action in 2008, when Andrew Weil was introduced to Sam Fox of the Fox Restaurant Group. Weil was always an excellent home cook, but he never thought about opening a restaurant because he had no experience with the industry. After he proposed his pitch: a restaurant that would serve really good food that was also nutritionally correct, Fox decided to team up with him.[5] Weil spent the entire summer of 2008 in the Fox Restaurant Concepts test kitchen in Phoenix, creating the first TFK menu and tweaking ideas.[6] The two men gave the concept a trial run when a space opened up in Phoenix, Arizona. From that moment on, it was a success.[7]

In 2023, John Williams became the newest CEO of True Food Kitchen. The previous CEO was Christine Barone. John Williams has always been a personal fan of the company.[8] His previous role was a chief marketing officer at Lazy Dog Restaurants, where he helped expand the company to more than 20 locations. Using his expertise from his previous job, he hopes that can expand True Food Kitchens brand and evolve even more.[9]

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The menu focuses on the anti-inflammatory diet, which is a way of eating that includes whole foods that are biodiverse and not overly processed.[10] Dr. Andrew Weil's belief is that many chronic diseases are rooted in chronic inflammation.[11] Because of this, the menu emphasizes wholesome, simple ingredients with simple preparations that brings forth natural health benefits and the flavors of each ingredient. The company caters to individuals who are gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian.[12]

Their website contains images and detailed descriptions of each menu item. The menu has a wide variety of dishes such as edamame dumplings, charred cauliflower, and Mediterranean hummus (appetizers). Two of the most popular bowls include the ancient grains bowl and Korean noodle bowl. Guests can also pick from four different kinds of burgers and three different kinds of sourdough pizzas. For dessert, they offer a flourless chocolate cake with vegan vanilla ice cream, a chocolate chip cookie a la mode, etc.[13]

The menu also offers alcohol: wines, signature cocktails, beer, and cocktails.[14] In an interview from 2017, Dr. Andrew Weil explains how wine fits into the Mediterranean diet and has scientific benefits. The company tries to include organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines as much as possible.[15]

Nutritional ideals

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In February 2024, the company transitioned their kitchens and menus to become 100% seed oil free.[16] Canola oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil are the most popular ones, commonly used in fried and processed foods. Consuming seed oils regularly can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which can cause arthritis, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.[17] TFK has committed to cooking with only olive oil and avocado oil, making it one of the first national restaurants brands to go entirely seed-oil free.[18]

One of the companies standards is that their protein is good for the guests and the planet. Their beef is 100% Grass-Fed, their chicken is 100% anti-biotic free, their salmon is sustainable raised, and their eggs are pasture raised.[19] In 2023, True Food Kitchen partnered with Vital Farms, a corporation that offers a range of ethically sourced foods nationwide. Vital Farms serves TFK their pasture raised eggs.[20] The restaurants also have scratch kitchens and bars, meaning that all recipes, dishes, and products are produced from raw ingredients. Every element of the dish is executed from start to finish without shortcuts.[21]

Collaborations

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In 2018, Oprah Winfrey became a star investor with True Food Kitchen. Bob Green, who is a business associate and health expert who previously worked with Winfrey, introduced her to the restaurant at the Santa Clara location. Winfrey knew that she wanted to become a part of the companies future because of the teams passion for healthy eating. Former CEO of True Food Kitchen, Christine Barone, met with Winfrey and strategized where they could go with the company.[22]

In February 2025, True Food Kitchen partnered with Grammy-Award winning artist SZA to create the SZA CZA salad. This dish is a remix of the Kale Caesar salad which was previously on the menu, but had been taken away when the Fall 2024 menu came out. The Kale Caesar salad was SZA's favorite meal, and when it was discontinued, she DM'ed True Food Kitchen on Instagram asking them to bring it back. The SZA CZA includes her favorite ingredients: organic kale, cherry tomatoes, avocados, scallions, rosemary garlic croutons, shaved parmesan, and house-made caesar dressing.[23]

When a customer purchases this salad, 20% of the proceeds will support SUPRMARKT's mission to make fresh and affordable food accessible to underserved communities in Los Angeles.[24]

Controversies

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In 2018, True Food Kitchen was hit with a class action restaurant wage theft lawsuit, where employees claimed that the restaurant chain had failed to pay employees for all hours worked and that the staff were not given proper breaks.[25] This claim was filed by two employees who worked at the Santa Monica, California location. The two employees and True Food Kitchen agreed to settle to case for $900,000, pending court approval.[26]

There are some claims that the dishes at TFK aren't as healthy as they seem. Nutritional information posted on the companies website shows that some of the most famous dishes contain generous amounts of sodium, sugar, and fat. In 2018, a magazine titled, "Eat This, Not That!" ranked the most popular menu items from best to worst, focusing on how healthy they actually are considering sugar, fat, and sodium. They found that some of the dishes contained a days worth of sugar and sodium, leading to the idea that True Food Kitchen is more health-minded rather than healthy.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "True Food Kitchen". Visit Montgomery. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  2. ^ "True Food Kitchen - Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  3. ^ Interactive, Skyhook. "Locations". True Food Kitchen. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  4. ^ Evergreen, Callie (2023-03-27). "Meet True Food Kitchen's New CEO". FSR magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  5. ^ "True Food Kitchen — Blog". Well + Away. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  6. ^ Weil, Andrew; Fox, Sam (2012-10-09). True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-21546-6.
  7. ^ "True Food Kitchen — Blog". Well + Away. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  8. ^ "True Food Kitchen names John Williams CEO". www.nrn.com. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  9. ^ Evergreen, Callie (2023-03-27). "Meet True Food Kitchen's New CEO". FSR magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  10. ^ Scheiber, Alexander; Mank, Victoria (2025), "Anti-Inflammatory Diets", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 37983365, retrieved 2025-05-13
  11. ^ Bulzoni, Susan (2024-05-15). "Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid | Nutrition | Andrew Weil, M.D." DrWeil.com. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  12. ^ DeBenedetto, Isaiah. "Heart Health". True Food Kitchen. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  13. ^ Interactive, Skyhook. "Menu - Landing Page". True Food Kitchen. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  14. ^ Interactive, Skyhook. "Menu - Landing Page". True Food Kitchen. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  15. ^ "True Food Kitchen — Blog". Well + Away. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  16. ^ Kitchen, True Food. "True Food Kitchen Goes 100% Seed Oil-Free, Pioneering A New Era of Healthier Dining". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  17. ^ "Seed Oils: Are They Truly Toxic?". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  18. ^ Kitchen, True Food. "True Food Kitchen Goes 100% Seed Oil-Free, Pioneering A New Era of Healthier Dining". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  19. ^ Interactive, Skyhook. "Our Protein Pledge". True Food Kitchen. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  20. ^ "VITAL FARMS GETS CRACKING ON TRUE FOOD KITCHEN MENUS NATIONWIDE". vitamfarms.com. Feb 13, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Ridge, Diane (2019-07-07). "What Does It Mean to Be a "Scratch" Kitchen?". Club + Resort Chef. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  22. ^ "Oprah Winfrey invests in True Food Kitchen". www.nrn.com. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  23. ^ Kitchen, True Food. "True Food Kitchen Partners with Grammy-Winning Artist SZA to Launch the SZA CZA Salad". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  24. ^ Bridges, C. A. "SZA partners with True Food Kitchen to benefit LA wildfire victims. Here are Florida locations". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
  25. ^ Antell, Amanda (2018-11-30). "True Food Kitchen Chain Settles Restaurant Wage Theft Lawsuit for $900,000". Top Class Actions. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
  26. ^ Adams, Erika (2018-11-28). "Labor Lawsuit Monthly: Pret a Manger and True Food Kitchen". Skift. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  27. ^ Sommers, Michael (2020-07-07). "The Untold Truth Of True Food Kitchen". Mashed. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
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