When owner Fernando Cordova took over operations of an existing restaurant location with his three business partners more than four years ago, he said he knew residents in the area were hungry for an option for healthier food in a more accessible setting.

In 2013, the eatery debuted as Pure Healthy Eatery on Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands, serving up a menu packed with healthy salads, freshly made juices and smoothies hearty sandwiches and entrees. One year later, the team decided to open a second location on Sawdust Road.

“When we took over that business, we saw that it had a huge potential for this area,” Cordova said. “People and restaurants are changing and evolving because people are more conscious nowadays. They want to know where their food comes from and what they are putting into their bodies. So, they’re not consuming just anything that’s out there—they’re being more aware.”

Cordova said it was important to include a variety of options on the menu to cater to the area’s ever-changing dietary wants, particularly as vegan and vegetarian diets become more mainstream. Additionally, he said the eatery uses hormone-free beef and chicken and strives to use organic options whenever possible.

The eatery has also made some healthy swaps throughout the menu, such as using agave in place of refined sugar, whole wheat flour instead of white flour and baked sweet potato fries in place of deep-fried options.

“We don’t fry anything at this store; this store doesn’t even have a fryer,” Cordova said. “We try to purchase fresh and clean products, and most of the time [all the menu items] that we carry are made in store.”
Pure Healthy Eatery also features an assembly counter where customers can see smoothies and juices—like the popular Green Monster juice—be prepared in front of them using fresh fruits and vegetables. For added nutrition, diners can customize their drinks with a shot of wheat grass juice or protein powder.

The menu also features breakfast, lunch and dinner options that include more than 10 salad options, sandwiches—such as the grilled bison burger and chipotle bean burger—that can be made with gluten-free bread or with a lettuce wrap, and entrees served with fresh vegetable sides.

In addition to dine-in and to-go orders, Pure Healthy Eatery also offers online ordering as well as delivery and catering services.

Cordova said, with the success of two locations in The Woodlands area, he hopes to add a third location in the downtown Houston area in the near future.

For now, Cordova said Pure Healthy Eatery is focused on keeping up with eating trends and new ingredients to introduce as well as listening to customers to determine what should be on the menu next.

“We’re always trying to put new items on the menu, new juices or new sandwiches; it depends on the trends of the season,” he said. “We try to customize our menu or try to put out something new depending on what customers are getting more involved in.”

Pure Healthy Eatery
4223 Research Forest Drive, Ste. 350,
The Woodlands
281-419-3200
525 Sawdust Road, Ste. 106, Spring
832-299-6765
www.liveandeatpure.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.,
Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.