Crushed Red to open location in Edwardsville
EDWARDSVILLE – Crushed Red, which specializes in chopped-to-order salads and artisan-crafted whole-grain pizzas, is opening its fifth St. Louis area location, and first in Illinois, on Thursday, June 15, in Edwardsville.
The new restaurant is at 222 E Park St. on the first floor of the new Park Street Plaza building.
The fast casual operation will play host to a Crushed Red Community Table event on Wednesday, June 14, benefitting Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s athletic department. The event will be open to the public for lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. and 50 percent of all proceeds will go to the SIUE athletic department. Matthew Bari, general manager of the athletic department, will be on-site throughout the day.
Founded in 2012 by Chris LaRocca, Powell Kalish and the late Ralph Kalish, Crushed Red has eight locations open with franchise agreements for two dozen more. The growing restaurant will offer residents of Edwardsville artisan-crafted salads and pizzas, as well as the option to customize salads and pizzas from a myriad of ingredients. Each salad includes fresh vegetables, fruit and protein, is organically dressed and chopped-to-order with a double bladed mezzaluna knife. The pizzas are built on the foundation of a whole-grain crust that was developed by Mike Marino, the former national director of baking operations for Panera Bread. The dough is stretched by hand, topped with an organic tomato sauce and then baked in a proprietary oven and served hot in just 90 seconds.
Menu options will include a rotation of daily all-natural soups and savory shareable appetizers such as the Warm Herbed Goat Cheese or Urban Zest. In addition to progressive food options, guests can also enjoy wine by the glass or bottle and locally brewed beer on draft. The restaurant will also offer Folded Flats, a sandwich-style offering filled with fresh meats, cheeses and veggies, for catering orders.
“We’ve been scoping out Edwardsville since we opened our first location in 2012, and we’re confident that Park Street Plaza is a prime location for everyone to come enjoy what Crushed Red has to offer,” said co-founder and Chief Development Officer Powell Kalish. “This is an exceptional town and we look forward to introducing everyone here to our hand-crafted salads and fresh-baked pizzas. We’re growing fast and are excited about the milestone expansion into Illinois.”
In addition to artisan-crafted menu items, Crushed Red is also committed to running every restaurant as a sustainable operation, meaning it creates little-to-no waste. Crushed Red utilizes LED lights, recyclable batteries, paper instead of plastic bags, hand dryers versus paper towels, beverages served in glass bottles, compostable linen trays, real silverware and glassware in place of plastic ware, washable linens, and more to keep waste at a very minimal level.
The new restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and can be reached at (618) 307-9861.
— From the Illinois Business Journal
