Karen Firsel, founder and owner of Jar Bar and Cake Jar Nation.
Next time you're visiting Chicago, leave the city and Uber over to the suburbs, where there's a restaurant that will totally transform the way you look at food -- not to mention the way you eat it.
Jar Bar, a 30-seat game-changer in Northbrook, Illinois, serves pretty much all of its delicious, healthy and locally-sourced dishes in, well, jars. Everything from salads to oatmeal to some of the best chocolate cake you've ever tasted is beautifully presented and fun to eat. In fact, guests regularly admit that it's easier to eat better when your food makes you smile.
If you think this is overstating the joy that can come from something in a jar, just head over to Pinterest and search "jars."
At Jar Bar, cameras are as essential as forks and spoon because this is food at its Instagrammable best.
As a former TV producer for CNN, MSNBC and The Oprah Winfrey Show, visual appeal is something founder Karen Firsel knows all about. She opened Jar Bar with her husband, Adam, last May, and recently formed Cake Jar Nation in response to customers begging to order their irresistible Cake Jars online. You can now get Cake Jars delivered right to you.
With Jar Bar's first anniversary approaching next month -- you may want to celebrate by ordering half a dozen Cake Jars yourself -- here's what Firsel has to say about her latest adventure.
Why did you decide to go from TV producer to restaurant owner?
I left my last producing job with The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2003 as I decided I was ready to move on with my life, get married, and have a family. I had my daughter in 2007 and in 2010, after the birth of my son, I was ready to go back to some TV but I wanted to be in front of the camera. My on-camera work space has been telling stories about trends: beauty, style, wellness. I really understood the connection between brands and how people assimilate to them. Of course, I have always loved eating well, and the idea of community spaces – friends and family gathering over really good food. In 2017, I put it all together. I wanted to tell stories and I wanted to create a space with amazing food.
How did the original idea for Jar Bar come about?
Jar Bar was born out of a vision to create a forward-thinking healthy fast casual space in the suburbs. I have spent the last 10 years in my town, and I saw a void. Why did we have to drive to the city for really good, really interesting food and spaces? I was unhappy with the pizza/hot dog/hamburger culture and, given my enthusiasm for clean food, I felt like the space was open for us to conquer.
How did you research food trends? What did you find out?
We traveled to LA and to NYC to see how concepts were being born on the coasts. As well-read as I am about West Coast food, I wanted to see what was happening in LA. Alternatively, I know New York food really well as I lived and worked there for nearly a decade. Our findings reiterated what I thought: clean food is on the rise, people are demanding better choices, food has to taste good but it has to make you feel even better.
How did Chicago compare to other big cities in terms of food trends?
Chicago is a middle child and we don’t get it as fast as the coasts do, but I know that the Midwest is following the trend. Chicagoans love good food, but we aren’t quite ready for the really really forward ideas like full vegan restaurants or even some concepts focusing on elixirs and such. But, we are a town that can embrace some change. We are ready for Acai and Poke.
">Karen Firsel, founder and owner of Jar Bar and Cake Jar Nation.
Next time you're visiting Chicago, leave the city and Uber over to the suburbs, where there's a restaurant that will totally transform the way you look at food -- not to mention the way you eat it.
Jar Bar, a 30-seat game-changer in Northbrook, Illinois, serves pretty much all of its delicious, healthy and locally-sourced dishes in, well, jars. Everything from salads to oatmeal to some of the best chocolate cake you've ever tasted is beautifully presented and fun to eat. In fact, guests regularly admit that it's easier to eat better when your food makes you smile.
If you think this is overstating the joy that can come from something in a jar, just head over to Pinterest and search "jars."
At Jar Bar, cameras are as essential as forks and spoon because this is food at its Instagrammable best.
As a former TV producer for CNN, MSNBC and The Oprah Winfrey Show, visual appeal is something founder Karen Firsel knows all about. She opened Jar Bar with her husband, Adam, last May, and recently formed Cake Jar Nation in response to customers begging to order their irresistible Cake Jars online. You can now get Cake Jars delivered right to you.
With Jar Bar's first anniversary approaching next month -- you may want to celebrate by ordering half a dozen Cake Jars yourself -- here's what Firsel has to say about her latest adventure.
Why did you decide to go from TV producer to restaurant owner?
I left my last producing job with The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2003 as I decided I was ready to move on with my life, get married, and have a family. I had my daughter in 2007 and in 2010, after the birth of my son, I was ready to go back to some TV but I wanted to be in front of the camera. My on-camera work space has been telling stories about trends: beauty, style, wellness. I really understood the connection between brands and how people assimilate to them. Of course, I have always loved eating well, and the idea of community spaces – friends and family gathering over really good food. In 2017, I put it all together. I wanted to tell stories and I wanted to create a space with amazing food.
How did the original idea for Jar Bar come about?
Jar Bar was born out of a vision to create a forward-thinking healthy fast casual space in the suburbs. I have spent the last 10 years in my town, and I saw a void. Why did we have to drive to the city for really good, really interesting food and spaces? I was unhappy with the pizza/hot dog/hamburger culture and, given my enthusiasm for clean food, I felt like the space was open for us to conquer.
How did you research food trends? What did you find out?
We traveled to LA and to NYC to see how concepts were being born on the coasts. As well-read as I am about West Coast food, I wanted to see what was happening in LA. Alternatively, I know New York food really well as I lived and worked there for nearly a decade. Our findings reiterated what I thought: clean food is on the rise, people are demanding better choices, food has to taste good but it has to make you feel even better.
How did Chicago compare to other big cities in terms of food trends?
Chicago is a middle child and we don’t get it as fast as the coasts do, but I know that the Midwest is following the trend. Chicagoans love good food, but we aren’t quite ready for the really really forward ideas like full vegan restaurants or even some concepts focusing on elixirs and such. But, we are a town that can embrace some change. We are ready for Acai and Poke.
Read Again https://www.forbes.com/sites/loisaltermark/2018/04/04/this-restaurant-entrepreneur-thinks-outside-the-box-and-serves-cake-in-a-jar/Bagikan Berita Ini
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