Fast-casual eatery chain planning north-side location, six more in Indy

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A fast-casual dining chain focused on healthy, low-carb meals has staked out its first central Indiana location on the north side of Indianapolis while planning as many as six more in the area.

CoreLife Eatery plans to open a 3,400-square-foot eatery in July in the Shoppes at River’s Edge retail center at 4335 E. 82nd St., in the Lake Clearwater area east of the Fashion Mall at Keystone.

According to the chain, veteran restaurant operator Melissa Rohwer has agreed to open a total of 10 new CoreLife Eatery restaurants in Indiana over the next four years—with seven locations in Indianapolis, two in Fort Wayne, and one in Lafayette.

With 11 current locations and another 16 slated to open in upcoming months, CoreLife Eatery is in the midst of a larger expansion plan calling for 300 locations within five years. They would include both corporate-owned and franchised restaurants.

The CoreLife menu is based on bowls of natural ingredients, broken into three main categories: greens, grains and bone broths. Patrons can choose from several preconceived concoctions in each category or construct their own dishes with combinations of vegetables, meats, cheeses, spices and house-made dressings.

The food is assembled in a single service line, as used by fast-casual rivals such as Chipotle. Conspicuously missing from its offerings are tortillas and other wraps, staples of other fast-casual chains that can add significantly to a dish’s calorie count.

Meals on the eatery's menu typically range from 250 to 500 calories. Most options with proteins run about $9, according to The Columbus Dispatch. CoreLife opened a restaurant—its seventh overall—in the Columbus, Ohio, area in 2016.

For beverages, patrons can choose from juices, teas and coffees.

Rowher has owned and operated four Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurants in Indiana.

“If I’m going to put my heart and soul into something, it has to be worthwhile. I quickly saw that CoreLife Eatery fit with my goals and beliefs, and am confident that is a strong investment,” Rohwer said in a media release. “This will be a game-changer for my corporation.”

The chain was founded in 2015 with a restaurant in Syracuse, New York. It’s currently headquartered in Vestal, New York.

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