Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsie Savage.
Chelsie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I received my undergraduate in Psychology & Interpersonal Communications. I went on to receive training in both clinical & holistic nutrition. I was running a health consultation business to reverse clinical diagnosis with lifestyle adaptations and acknowledged a huge gap in our community for healthy eating & education around how to eat healthy. I begin teaching cooking lessons to close this gap and received the overwhelming request to “please open up a restaurant so I can eat your food every day”. In 2016, with no prior restaurant experience, I opened up The Sanctum – a 1,000 sq ft. space that created a line out the door the day we opened. After the first weekend of Friends & Family soft opening, we rented the space next door for added storage so we could keep up with demand and in one year we tripled our seating by expanding into the space next door. The Sanctum became an anchor in the Orlando community for healthy, chef-driven food and three years later we opened Proper & Wild, an elevated plant-centric dining experience in Winter Park as well as The Sanctum Coffee & Juice Bar – a grab and go location in Altamonte Springs.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth is always relative. We have been incredible blessed to have been embraced by all the communities that we’ve entered into… it’s obvious Orlando is hungry for what we’re serving up. There will always be troubles and tribulations but I’ve found it’s your ability to flex, learn on the fly and personal grit that will determine your ability to get through these moments. Don’t have a “plan B” because if you do, “plan B” will look very intriguing at times. Go after what you want with a pure intention. Be a good person who shows up with integrity and vigor that good people want to follow and go to work with your whole heart and don’t look back.
We’d love to hear more about Proper & Wild, The Sanctum, The Sanctum Coffee & Juice Bar.
We are a chef-driven plant-centric restaurant concept that serves 100% from scratch food from the best ingredients we can. That means no food dyes, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, refined flours/sugars/salts or artificial anything. We serve up REAL damn good food in a couple of different models making healthy food delicious and accessible to everyone.
I am most proud of growing three incredibly successful restaurants with an awesome team of people in under three years — with NO prior restaurant experience. What sets us apart from others is our commitment to lead & work with integrity that doesn’t just use “healthy” as a selling point but creates food from this space through and through.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Gosh, this one is tough! It was always expected for me to show up fully whatever it was I did and I think that’s a skillset often overlooked that I definitely contribute to my success. You never know who is watching, listening or what connections you might be forming. When I opened my first restaurant so many people came out of the woodwork to support me because of who I was or how I showed up for them at some other point in my life. I think it’s important to always do your best, no matter what it is or where you are because it’s the right thing to do. And… *BONUS* you never know when those authentic relationship you form will come back to support you.
Contact Info:
- Address: Proper & Wild
155 E Morse Blvd
Winter Park, FLThe Sanctum
715 N Ferncreek Ave
Orlando, FLThe Sanctum Coffee & Juice Bar
1150 Douglas Ave
Altamonte Spring, FL - Website: www.properandwildwp.com www.thesanctumcafe.com www.thesanctumcafejuicebar.com
- Email: eat@properandwildwp.com eat@thesanctumcafe.com
- Instagram: @properandwild_wp @thesanctumcafe @thesanctum_altamonte
- Facebook: /properandwildwp /thesanctumcafe /thesanctumaltamonte
Image Credit:
Cass Russell – Artful Life Photography
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