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By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Whole Harvest has moved from a small space at 5 Caroline St. in Saratoga Springs to a larger storefront location at 419 Broadway, a spot previously occupied by Plum Dandy frozen yogurt shop.
“The move to Broadway just made sense,” said co-owner Kelsey Whalen. “The change to our overhead didn’t change drastically, but the change in foot traffic and sales has quadruples—sometimes five times the amount. It’s reaffirmed my decision to move locations.”
Whalen grew up in Saratoga and was living in Boston after going to school for dietetics. After moving back home to Saratoga, Whalen was disappointed at the lack of healthy options for a full set menu, as she had grown accustomed to living in Boston.
“We have health in our tag line along with history and horses,” she said of Saratoga Springs. “Yet there were no healthy full menus for people to enjoy. So I decided to go and do it myself.”
Whalen already had restaurant experience in food and liquor sales.
“We started at a small location with 600 square feet and very low overhead. It was the perfect spot for us to start, figure out our menu and get all our kinks out,” said Whalen of the Caroline Street location.
Whalen issued mass email and social media surveys to see what her client base wanted to see in the restaurant. The menu includes organic, cold-pressed juices, smoothies, desserts, expanded wrap items and avocado toast. The grain bowls and salads are best sellers on the menu, said Whalen.
She and her business partner, Kara Harrington, also opened a meal subscription delivery program using Whole Harvest as the preparation and launch site. Harvest2Homes is a weekly meal subscription offering patrons 2-14 healthy meals each week.
Meals are pre-made and can be heated in the microwave or oven. The plan utilizes a Pyrex program to reduce waste. A biodegradable packaging option is available at an additional cost. Pricing for each meal is $10-$12 for one to two servings.
All allergen and dietary preferences are catered to. The menu changes weekly and is a different than that available at Whole Harvest.
Delivery is available for up to 30 miles from the Whole Harvest site. Ordering for the meal subscription plan can be done at www.Harvest2homes.com.
Whalen said the meal delivery plan kept Whole Harvest afloat during the COVID-19 shutdown and has grown consistently since its launch a year ago. When the restaurant reopened, the meal subscription program continued to do well.
The restaurant is open Sunday-Monday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The website is www.wholeharvestco.com.