Let's take a look inside Amanda's and meet the team.

Founder, Amanda West

Don't be too impressed yet, but I've never had a hard time starting the day out right. I get up early (you don't want to know how early), sometimes have a snack, go for a run or yoga class, and have a healthy fruit and/or veggie juice smoothie. After that, my wholesome day can fall apart. Running around from meeting to meeting, I want to eat well, but often find myself snacking on muffins, vending machine items, or going to In-N-Out Burger for lunch or dinner. I have rarely found a trustworthy place where I can buy a crave-able meal that tastes great and energizes me.

I realized that the rest of our country face this same problem daily. After watching the film Super Size Me and reading the book Fast Food Nation, I decided that I needed to create the solution...something that address the fact that most of us crave hamburgers and French Fries, but we often feel bad physically and emotionally after eating them. We need something that has Feel Good Fast Food - food that is delicious, quick, convenient, fun, and familiar and when Amanda's opens, we will have it!

Tom Chappel, founder of Tom's of Maine, the personal care products company, is the other inspiration for this restaurant business. I read his book in college and knew that I would someday follow his path to lead a company that respected the environment and the employees. I'm thrilled that I now have the opportunity to do this by creating a terrific workplace and adopting sustainable practices.

My parents have inspired me to share health with others. Not only are they the bright people who came up with this restaurant name, they also raised me to be healthy. My mom taught me to cook simple, healthy meals and touse sugar, butter, and salt sparingly - "no sugar cereals". My dad sets an example for daily exercising even while running a business, and my stepmom is my role model for level-headedness. I want to help make the world well - through good quick food and a healthy community. I hope you will join the Amanda's community. Please start by contributing to our marketing plan. Once we open, come have a veggie burger or salad, tell your friends, and perhaps even share your wellness learnings with our customers.

Intern, Lauren Bass