Coolgreens to Open Soon in Tulsa
By EMILY RAMSEY
Tulsa residents Susan and Chris Gates will open the first of three Coolgreens locations in Greater Tulsa later this year.
The Oklahoma City-based company was founded in 2009 as a quick-service lunch and dinner restaurant chain focused on fresh, naturally-sourced food items.
“The overall model is a lifestyle eatery with fresh, local, healthy food, following the farm-to-table trend,” says Susan.
The Gates are both from Oklahoma and have lived in Tulsa for close to 15 years. They are previous owners of the Pecan Porch Coffee & Tea Co., located in Catoosa. In 2007, they were named Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Rogers County Industrial Development Authority as founders of the restaurant.
The Gates later sold the business, but their entrepreneurial interests did not die.
“We had been looking for a franchise concept to get involved with for about six years,” Susan says.
But it wasn’t until they found Coolgreens that their interest was peaked for a number of reasons.
For one, the company’s focus on health and freshness, with food being brought in daily, fits well with our personal lifestyle, she says.
The menu offers a broad range of options for those with dietary restrictions or preferences, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and carb free, and menu offerings go well beyond salads, she continues, with build-your-own choices as well as wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and quinoa bowls.
Secondly, the Gates were drawn to Coolgreens’ proven track record as a successful Oklahoma-based food company and for its mentality of employee development and community involvement—such as opening its doors for after-hours fitness and health classes.
There are seven corporate-owned Coolgreens in the Oklahoma City area. The company began offering franchise opportunities in 2017.
Because of Coolgreens’ health-conscious philosophy and Tulsans’ growing interest in the movement, Susan and Chris feel confident in the company’s local success.
“There is a shift happening around the country and in Tulsa of people becoming more interested in what they are eating,” says Chris.
“We are seeing the younger generation becoming more interested in eating a salad over burgers and fries. We will see how that changes the food landscape in the future.”
The Gates plan to open at least three locations in the greater Tulsa area with hopes, then, to expand further into surrounding communities, says Susan.
They plan to open the first area Coolgreens later this year around the 41st Street and Yale Avenue area with additional locations to follow in yearly succession.
Updated 02-07-2018
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