A Bowl of Prevention

Everbowl

Fruit-forward hotspot delivers powerful superfoods on a spoon

Posted on January 9, 2019

Everyone has their “why” when it comes to making healthy eating choices. For many, eating “better for you” foods is only part of a greater effort toward a healthier lifestyle. For others, it’s where they naturally gravitate. For North County’s Jeff Fenster, it is the deeper connection between the food we put in our bodies and its power to both fuel and heal us. So, he founded Everbowl, a chain of quick-serve restaurants that features a vast array of superfoods you’ve likely heard of, as well as some you probably haven’t, with the hope of helping as many people as possible eat better food.

“I’m afraid of disease. I think a lot of it can be prevented, and I believe it’s easier to prevent than to cure,” says Fenster, whose father is a physician. “Mother Earth is our pharmacy for our bodies. I think we can prevent illness by living an ‘unevolved’ lifestyle.” The word “unevolved” is an invention of Fenster’s, which he’s trademarked and defines as “to move and eat the way we were meant to.” He explains, “We’ve gone away from just eating what nature has to provide. So, Everbowl is the ‘eating’ component of ‘unevolved.’”

Fenster researched and identified four main reasons why people feel compelled to make less-than-great eating choices: it costs too much to eat healthy, it’s not filling enough, it doesn’t taste great, or it’s not readily accessible. With that in mind, he set out to create something that delivered great-tasting, filling food at a comparable cost to the many “meal deal” options out there, from burgers and fries to pizza slices and soda combos. The first Everbowl opened in Poway in October 2016, featuring a menu packed with fruits both familiar and exotic, plus organic oats, nut milks and butters, seeds, and other healthy add-ins like bee pollen and whey protein. Each 24-ounce bowl includes one of four superfood “bases” — acai, acerola (a Vitamin C-packed berry), graviola (believed to possibly boast cancer-fighting qualities), or pitaya, a cactus fruit — frozen and pureed to a thick smoothie consistency which is then capped with unlimited combinations of fresh fruits and other toppings in a 24-ounce cup. Customers can choose from a set menu or create their own recipes and if you don’t like it, says Fenster, they’ll make you something new to ensure you love it.

And love it people do. In just over two years, Fenster has opened 16 stores and estimates he served 1.75 million pounds of fruit in 2018. Another store is due to open this month and, with powerful backing including Cohn Restaurant Group, he plans to expand into Arizona, Nevada, Northern California, and further throughout San Diego and Orange County. While the business is helping Fenster succeed in getting healthy food into the hands of more people, his greatest goal is even simpler: “There are two core principles of Everbowl — to make friends and have fun. That’s all we’re here to do.” everbowl.com   Deanna Murphy