Looking for a place to get your grains, vegetables and proteins in one bowl without breaking the bank, running out of time on your lunch break, sacrificing flavor or more trees in the environment?  

Each of these fresh kitchens in Gainesville serves up customizable and signature bowls to help you get at least one step closer to any of those goals in just one meal. Using recycled and compostable materials, a majority of the kitchens also aim to serve their meals in dishes as sustainable as the ingredients used to go into them.  

Whether you’re holding fast to a clean diet or just looking for a break from other types of fast-food chains, try out one of these fresher alternatives. 

Fresh Kitchen 
Location: 700 NW 62nd St. 
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:35 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9:05 p.m., Sunday 

What’s a fresh bowl kitchen round-up without Fresh Kitchen on it? With a mission to provide ingredients made fresh in-house displayed in their very name, Fresh Kitchen prepares food to be “fast, fresh and fun.”  

Established in 2014, all ingredients are cooked in olive oil, gluten-free and free of processed sugars. The meats are hormone and antibiotic free, the veggies are hand-cut and the sauces such as creamy white ginger and coconut sriracha are homemade. Believing that companies are responsible for their business’s impact on the planet, Fresh Kitchen invests in environmental technologies to track and minimize their carbon and landfill footprints.  

According to their 2023 impact report, the chain launched their reusable bowl and utensil program and kept over 248,000 pounds of waste out of the landfill with a new composting program. 

Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen 
Locations: 2905 SW 42nd St. Ste. 70 and 50 NW 13th St. Ste. 20 
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday (42nd St.) and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Monday (13th St.) 

Of their 22 locations spread across Florida, Bolay offers two in Gainesville. The Bolay name combines the chain’s signature dish of the “bol” and “Olé,” an exclamation of excitement about the “Bolay Way”—how the restaurant aims to embody great dining through community, health, passion, flavor and service.  

CEO Chris Gannon founded the chain in 2016 bringing international flavors to fuel healthy lifestyles. Influenced by his dad Tim—who founded Outback Steakhouse—Chris also consulted top Wolfgang Puck chefs when crafting the Bolay menu that includes signature “bols,” build-your-own “bols,” family size meals and catering pans for special events. 

CAVA 
Locations: 3730 SW Archer Rd. Ste. 200 and1404 W University Ave. 
Hours: 10:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Saturday 

Cava has been serving up Mediterranean flavors rooted in the culture’s entire meal experience since opening in 2010. According to the chain’s website, first-generation Greek American immigrant founders Ike Grigoropoulos, Dimitri Moshovitis and Ted Xenohristos knew each other since they were 6-year-olds goofing off together in their Greek church’s Sunday School class before gathering for large Sunday meals at home.  

These Mediterranean flavors served up during gatherings with friends and family are what Cava’s recipes aim to bring to all 379 locations across the U.S. If you want to bring a taste of Cava home, Cava’s dips, spreads and sauces can be purchased at various nationwide grocery retailers like Whole Foods.  

Burrito Famous 
Location: 3412 West University Ave. 
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Saturday 

Nestled next to Hogtown Creek off West University Avenue, Burrito Famous serves burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas and bowls that come with unlimited toppings, including plantains. Customers can order “Famous Favorites” such as the Cali Surfer, Baja Cruiser and Powerhouse burritos or bowls, and enjoy breakfast bowls and burritos all day. Save room for churros for dessert.  

Chipotle 
Locations: 3841 SW Archer Rd., 1432 W. University Ave. and 2225 NW 13th St. Ste.100 
Hours: 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

According to their website, Chipotle says that “Chipotle” (chih-poat-lay) is the hardest of their 53 ingredients to pronounce. The chain operates more than 3,400 locations across the U.S. aiming to keep their ingredients, purpose and flavor real because even though one meal might not change the world, they believe the way they make their meals might.  

In 2021, Chipotle kept 50% of their waste out of landfills, set up composting programs at 31% of their restaurants and ran a food donation program for all new restaurants in accordance with their mission to cut their greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Chipotle also has a rewards program where every dollar spent on burritos, bowls, salads or anything else on the menu earns you points that add up to win prizes like free drinks, queso, chips and meals.  

Vale Food Co 
Location: 3841 SW Archer Rd. B 
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Monday 

“Imagine if Chipotle and Whole Foods had a baby,” is how Vale founder Sunny Ilyas describes his business. Vale operates 10 storefronts across Florida, offering a variety of healthy and fast custom savory, acai and poke bowls, as well as catering.  

Ilyas started Vale originally as a meal plan delivery service in 2014 while attending college and working three other jobs in Tallahassee, before expanding to the restaurant model in 2016. On top of custom bowls, Vale still offers meal plan options including six signature bowls and three snacks prioritizing ingredients from local farms. Save room for chocolate chip cookies infused with almond butter protein brownies. 

Moe’s Southwest Grill 
Locations: 7770 W Newberry Rd., 3832 Newberry Rd. and 3443 SW Archer Rd. 
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Saturday (Newberry Road locations); 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday (Archer Road). 

Employees at the founding Moe’s in Atlanta, Georgia, greeted customers with the iconic “Welcome to Moe’s” for the first time in 2000. The chain with over 600 locations across the U.S. aims to “feed the rebel spirit in all of us” with both fresh and bold flavors. Customers can order specialty dishes like the Moe meat Moe and edgy veggie burritos that can be turned into bowls or build their own from scratch.  

Just Salad 
Location: 1404 W University Ave. 
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 

Just Salad aims to offer healthy and tasty meals that are also conscious of environmental sustainability. The chain started in 2006 and operates over 90 storefronts across seven states.  

On top of serving grain bowls and salads in reusable bowls, Just Salad also offers soups, wraps and smoothies all using sustainably grown ingredients. If you can’t decide on one thing from the menu you can do a pick 2 combo. In case you like the homemade dressings so much you want to take them home, Just Salad bottles and sells their 13 different flavors, from smoky poblano ranch to maple cider vinaigrette.  

Tela 
Location: 1702 W. University Ave. 
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday 

Tela is the entrepreneurial dream of two childhood friends who came to Gainesville from Honduras wanting to share the Latin American flavors of their home country with their new community.  

Founded in 2024, the name pays homage to the coastal Honduran city Tela, where baleadas—Honduran burritos with flour tortilla with beans, cheese and crema—trace their roots. Tela customers can order baleadas, quesadillas or build their own bowls with plantains, pickled jalapenos, eggs and cotija cheese toppings, and order sides of yuca fries and churros for dessert.