Popular Cafe Chain With Fairfield County Roots Adds New Burger As It Broadens Menu Appeal

STAMFORD, CT — Green & Tonic, the chain of cafes with Fairfield County roots known for its health-focused menu, recently launched a new menu item that's part of an ongoing effort from the brand to satisfy and include everyone.

The Lean & Tasty burger - a take on McDonald's former Big N' Tasty burger - launched at all locations late last month.

The burger features a juicy turkey burger topped with cheese, pickle, onion, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayo, on an organic chia millet bun.

Like all other menu items at Green & Tonic, the burger is made without seed oils and focused on clean ingredients. According to the menu, the burger has 30 grams of protein.

Green & Tonic CEO Fausto Mieres told Patch in a recent interview the new menu item is part of the brand's new push to cater to all kinds of dietary needs.

Founded in 2012, Green & Tonic built its brand around juices, smoothies, acai bowls and grab-and-go foods.

Mieres, who took over the brand in 2019 and has grown the Stamford-based brand to nine locations across Fairfield and Westchester Counties, said the original concept might have unintentionally created a sense of exclusion for customers.

There are currently Green & Tonic locations in Cos Cob, Darien, Glenville, New Canaan, Old Greenwich, Stamford, Westport, Chappaqua, N.Y., and Rye Brook, N.Y.

"I thought maybe we need to change our approach. We need to be less preachy and more fun, more approachable," Mieres said. "Green & Tonic is for everyone. It doesn't exclude any type of diet or restriction. Anybody can come to Green & Tonic. Whether you're looking to eat high protein or you're looking to eat low carbs, low sugar - whatever you choose to do with your life, we're here to support that."

Mieres believes there's no such thing as bad food, only bad ingredients, so he set out to put together a slate of offerings using higher-quality ingredients without sacrificing flavor.

A new menu launched in March, also with a new burger - the Better Arch Burger: two quarter-pound turkey patties, double cheese, signature sauce, lettuce, pickle, onion, on an organic chia millet bun.

The menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner - from egg wraps and sandwiches, burgers, and chicken nuggets to a salad bar, smoothies, dairy-free milkshakes and soft-serve, and grab-and-go favorites.

In the first week after the new menu launched, Green & Tonic saw a 40 percent increase in sales, followed by a 63 percent increase the following week, Mieres said.

"Things keep increasing tremendously. It's good to see people are reacting well to it. It feels good to see people making the right choice when choosing what they can eat, without compromising," Mieres said.

For example, Mieres said, a box of chicken nuggets can have almost the same macronutrients as a piece of grilled chicken.

"Why not have fun? Why not let people who want to eat better but don't want to sacrifice on their cravings come to Green & Tonic?" Mieres added. "Let's open up the brand to everybody and also give our customers who have been loyal to us all these years - give them something fun."

More burgers are coming to the menu in the future, as well as a potato menu option. Mieres said he doesn't want to get into the "fry business," but he's working on a new creation that's expected to be released soon.

As part of the mission to open up the menu to more people and have more items come from the kitchen, Mieres said the brand plans to reduce its grab-and-go items and minimize single-use containers.

"We want to minimize food waste, especially with the way things are right now in the world," he said.

Additionally, a unique drive-thru from Supr Food - the sister company of Green & Tonic - is planning to open this summer, according to Mieres, who did not provide a specific date.

Supr Food Drive-Thru has been in the works at 205 Boston Post Road in Darien at the former site of Blue Wave Taco for over two years, but its progress has been delayed until now.

A website is live with a menu. The concept plans to provide a healthy drive-thru option with breakfast sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken, air-fried French fries, and more.