Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Klein. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Entrepreneurial restaurateur and healthy eating mastermind Susan Klein has spent over 25 years in the food service industry, gaining firsthand knowledge and experience in aspects from purveyor relationships, menu development, ingredient preparation, and the unhealthy habits that come along with the responsibilities. Her personal journey to reclaim her own health has served as the driving force behind her sensational South Florida nutrient-driven concepts, Fit Foodz Café and RIPE, located in Delray Beach’s Shop Delray Plaza. After moving to Boca Raton in 1992 to pursue a degree in International Business, the New York native supported herself working at a local Italian restaurant, where she was awarded the General Manager position after graduation and was appointed a Managing Partner by the age of 27. After eight years, she moved on to another local Italian establishment with four restaurants in their portfolio, where she spent 12 years as Corporate Manager, becoming familiar with the operations side of the business.
Working with carb-laden menus for 20 years resulted in a slow accumulation of unwanted weight for Susan. At the time, she was frustrated with the “healthy” options being offered on restaurant menus. She joined a gym and entered a weight loss contest and began asking her chefs to prepare healthier versions of her favorite comfort foods, substituting nutrient-rich ingredients without sacrificing flavor. She lost 50 pounds and won the contest.
Empowered by her personal journey and education, Susan left the Italian restaurant to pursue her restaurateur dreams and launched Fit Foodz Café in September 2011. Her healthy and flavorful menu and pre-packaged meal service regularly sold out at local gyms, spurring her to open a brick-and-mortar location to better serve her growing community.
Susan’s rapidly increasing impact through Fit Foodz Café inspired her to launch a fast-casual franchise to further her reach to provide real food made for real people by real people. The RIPE concept would take the most popular items from the Fit Foodz Café menu, simplify services and cater to a variety of dietary preferences with a color-coded menu for ease of ordering based on dietary preference. The much-anticipated, highly sought franchising opportunity opened its first location in early 2019, presenting South Floridians with its first widely accessible, fast-casual concept catering to an expansive variety of lifestyles.
Susan currently lives in Boca Raton, where she can be found devising new recipes in the Fit Foodz Café and RIPE kitchens. She has earned recognition in Boca Magazine’s annual Women in Business feature three years in a row, and she has been invited to teach at the Publix Aprons cooking school to further empower home cooks to eat well. Her mission and mantra is to make nutritious, healthy eating delicious, affordable, and easily accessible for people around South Florida and soon the country.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nope. Since the pandemic business is not the same as usual. Struggles with staff, inventory, products, etc. We are so thankful for our loyal staff that kept us striving and surviving as always!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Susan has spent over twenty years in the restaurant business and has creatively accommodated clients throughout South Florida. A successful baker, Susan has incorporated and confined her recipes to meet the needs of even the healthiest of eaters. When not working, Susan enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I also own Ripe in Delray Beach, Fl. 100% Gluten Free Restaurant.
Contact Info:
- Website: fitfoodzcafe.com and ripedelray.com
- Instagram: ripedelray and fitfoodzcafe
- Facebook: ripedelray and fitfoodzcafe
Image Credits
Alissa Dragun Photos
