Fresh Monkee is positioning itself as a health-conscious option among Kernersville’s fast-casual dining choices. Scope News spoke with co-owners David and Shala Dalton to learn more about the business, which recently opened at 210A Market View Drive.
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“We create healthy shakes that make healthy eating accessible to everyone,” David Dalton said. “It tastes good, you can customize it for dietary needs, [there’s] no added sugars, no added junk. … If you tell your doctor you had this over and over, they’re not going to yell at you.”
The husband-and-wife team brings complementary experience to the venture. David spent 20 years in food manufacturing and supply chain management and has a background in athletics and bodybuilding. Shala, a third-generation baker, previously ran her own business focused on adapting recipes with cleaner, more natural ingredients.
They said Fresh Monkee aligns closely with those shared interests.
“It’s fresh, natural, transparent,” David said. “It speaks to us and what we want to do: we get to be a partner with those on weight loss journeys, we can be coaches for those who want to [bulk up]. Even those who have special dietary needs, we’ve been a place they can come.”
Since the Daltons joined the brand, Fresh Monkee has expanded from a small regional footprint to 66 locations open or in development across 15 states.
As David Dalton put it: “We’re not just some big chain that’s like, ‘Take this and if you don’t like it, so what? We got your money.’ We engage with the customer, asking, ‘How did you feel after you had that yesterday?'”
Customer interaction is a key part of the franchise’s business model, Shana Dalton said, explaining that staff encourage real-time feedback and ask customers to sample their shakes before leaving.
“If something is off or they want something a little bit different, we can tweak it,” she said. “We offer to re-blend.”
The Daltons decided on Kernersville for the new shop and secured the location they wanted, but their soft opening was interrupted by this year’s snowstorm. Since then, however, they said the response from the public has been positive.
“The most common thing we hear is, ‘We’re glad you’re here,'” David Dalton said.
Shala Dalton said local organizations interested in partnerships can reach out via email at shala.dalton@freshmonkee.com.
Fresh Monkee orders are available online, through its app, or by phone. Click here for the menu.
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