Fresh Cafe and Market, in its big swanky new location at 6151 Thornton Ave., opened to the public on May 11 — sort of in stealth mode. Kerri Rush (aka the wheatgrass girl), who owns the vegetarian/vegan cafe said there is still some minor construction happening and that she and the staff are working out the kinks that come with opening a restaurant. The cafe used to live in a small office building in West Des Moines.
In the meantime, the cafe is open limited hours — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday — with a limited, takeout-style menu. And since their dishware hasn’t arrived, right now everything is being served in (compostable/biodegradable) disposable containers, although Rush said people are welcome to stay and eat in the space.
If you want to leave a little piece of yourself at the cafe for posterity, people are invited to stop by and write down their favorite quote, poem, words of wisdom or whatever inspires them. Artist Amy Putney Koenig will be painting murals on the walls that incorporate and immortalize your profundities.
Rush is planning a grand opening fete and ribbon cutting, complete with free food and music, “when it’s all done mid-July (fingers crossed),” she said. In the meantime, you can get your fresh wheatgrass shots and other Fresh Cafe goodies at the Downtown Farmers’ Market. (Find it under the giant green tent at the corner of Third Street and Court Avenue.)
AND — yes there’s more. Fresh Cafe is also taking over the former Gateway Market Express space at the YMCA of Greater Des Moines Healthy Living Center (12493 University Ave., Clive), which is scheduled to open “in about 30 days (or whenever the health inspector approves our license).”
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