People were waiting for the anticipated return of Baby Greens, the Austin mini-chain which highlights healthy, quick, easy, and most importantly, affordable salads. Owner Sharon Mays is thrilled she brought it back to life starting today on West Anderson Lane, after shuttering her stores back in 2009.
Mays’ utmost concern is offering fare that she considers "affordable in a fast food way." She continues, "Everybody should have fresh food. This how Baby Greens came about. Back in the restaurant's previous life, Mays recounts how people used to ask for "regular lettuce." She realized that they meant iceberg lettuce. Now, the customers are more educated —t hey understand and crave kale.
(While Eater spoke to Mays last week, two people attempted to enter the drive-thru. After Mays informed them Baby was currently closed, but would open next week, they were very happy).
While Baby Greens is primarily a drive-thru, it includes a walk-up window and bike rack. Mays did make sure to offer comfortable picnic-style tables for those who want to linger over their meals. Nearby is the herb garden so there’s something nice to smell. She wanted to make sure there was "dedicated green space" on West Anderson Lane," referring it as her "urban oasis."
Mays doesn’t want Baby Greens to stop with this location. Her ultimate goal is to create a franchise. It's her way of spreading her restaurant while helping other entrepreneurs grow into their own. That’s partially why she shuttered the first incarnation of Baby in the first place — she couldn’t figure out how to appropriately expand the business into new hands at the time.
Now, Mays has a game plan. She wants Baby Greens across Austin, and, hey, even the country, if the right person who really understands that particular city well.
The menu will look familiar to regulars: salads or wraps like the Asian (edamame and chow mein noodles), the Sharon (avocado), and the Southwest (black bean salsa, diced jicama, and tortilla strips). Aside from the mixed greens, customers can also pick from soup, a kids' meal option, and drinks like iced tea and lemonade. Newcomer to the lineup is the Rainbow, a composed bright array of colorful vegetables.
Mays emphasizes the visual aspect of the drive-thru experience, which gives drivers something to look at while they go through the ordering process. This starts with the living green wall. While she decided not to bring over the original Pepper Girls mural from the original South 1st location, she did place one of those figures onto the living green wall (the rest can be found at her home). Green and earth elements throughout the space, from the bright greens and whites used and the wooden tables.
Next up for Mays is fully launching Baby Greens’ catering branch.
Baby Greens returns today, Tuesday, November 1 starting at 11 a.m. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and until 6 p.m. on weekends.