Native Foods Café

The Chicago-based fast-casual concept with an entirely plant-based menu was born in Southern California, where non-meat-eaters thrive. But it has since proven itself in the meat-loving Midwest and most recently has hit the East Coast, in the Washington, D.C. area, setting the stage for national expansion. Andrea McGinty, Native Foods’ co-owner, said the brand has been embraced as it moves further away from the West Coast. That’s because roughly 80 percent of guests at Native Foods aren’t even vegetarian or vegan. Native Foods was founded in 1994 in Palm Springs, Calif., by chef Tanya Petrovna, who sold the concept in 2009 to McGinty and her husband Daniel Dolan. The couple moved the headquarters to Chicago, where they lived, and set the concept on a growth path. Last April, the chain announced a $15 million investment by two private-equity firms: Laurel Crown Partners LLC, based in Los Angeles, and Huntington Capital, based in San Diego. That investment followed a $10 million infusion in 2012 from private-equity firm NGEN Partners, based in Santa Barbara, Calif. The capital has helped the chain accelerate growth. Native Foods finished 2013 with 13 units, and then doubled that count by the end of 2014 to 26 locations. The goal is 200 units within five years. McGinty said there are no plans to franchise.