Kevin Elliott, the founder and owner of Pure Plates in Frisco, knows better than most one of the hurdles society is facing. As a former executive at 7-Eleven and an expert on logistics, he understands the high cost of convenience—not the price tag on items, but the damage unhealthy foods offered at convenience stores can do to our bodies.
"Convenience and healthy are usually polar opposites, but not at Pure Plates," Kevin said.
Establishing a food service/restaurant that focused on nutrition was a no-brainer for Kevin, even if giving up a 25-year career in corporate retail and starting his own company was scary business, he said. Making the move even more complicated was that his wife, Marla, quit her accounting practice to be the spokesperson and brand and lifestyle leader of Pure Plates.
The move has paid off not only with thousands of happy consumers, but also as a business, he said. Less than two years into the adventure, the Eliotts have signed a lease to open a second location in Plano and are in talks to franchise their idea.
Still, Kevin prefers to talk about the health of his products and consumers rather than the prowess of his ledger sheet. A conversation with the convenience convert is full of terms such as "anti-aging," "heart healthy" and "dairy free." He brags about chef Bradly Dickens, dietician Summer Lamons and their nutritious contributions.
"Everything we sell is 100 percent gluten-free," Kevin said. "We use nothing but natural ingredients."
While the Elliotts offer complete meals made on-site in their health-conscious kitchen, they also sell a variety of prepackaged drinks, snacks, nutrition bars and supplements from a variety of local vendors and popular health food brands. The heat-and-eat meals are prepared with local produce and without any additives or preservatives. The Elliotts have also developed their own line of Pure Plates vitamins and supplements.
Popular dishes at Pure Plates include salmon, tilapia and bison chili. The most ordered, the Elliotts said, are the tacos (pork, fish or shrimp).
"We literally have something for everybody," Marla said. "Most people don't associate healthy with tasty, and maybe that was true at one time, but our stuff is pretty good."
Pure Plates offers a variety of services unusual for both health food and convenience stores. Customers can order group meals for a business convention, a family reunion or even a wedding. Pure Plates also offers a 30-day wellness plan. The customers outline their health goals, and Pure Plates consultants set up a diet and meal plan.
Health-minded employees
The Elliotts said they struggled to hire the right employees when they first opened Pure Plates. That changed when they developed a relationship with Texas Women's University. Now 100 percent of their employees are working on undergraduate or graduate degrees in nutrition or some other health-related major. "They can really relate and communicate with our customers," founder and owner Kevin Elliott says.
- 8549 Gaylord Parkway, Ste. 103
- 214-494-8038
- www.pure-plates.com
- Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–8 p.m.,
- Sat. 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. noon–8 p.m.
