As someone who’s lived a vegan lifestyle and maintained a gluten-free diet, Miranda Lewis knew that the options for those with dietary restrictions were limited. When she had the opportunity to invest, she chose to give Everett what it so sorely needed: healthy and delicious options for those with dietary restrictions of all kinds.
K Fresh brought food inspired by Lewis’ childhood and matched it with a desire for quality, delicious food and the ability to fill the stomachs of those with dietary restrictions. While it started as a gluten-free facility that also catered to the vegan diet, K Fresh has since grown to include keto-friendly options.
The creation of K Fresh happened through a combination of luck and inspiration. Lewis had recently taken a business class at Everett Community College, and while the business she planned out in that class had no resemblance to K Fresh, she felt prepared to start a business of her own.
Lewis found a location and teamed up with a family member before they fully formed the vision that would become K Fresh. The construction aspect of the business was a tremendous undertaking prior to creating K Fresh, as they completely redid the space with all new equipment and white walls to symbolize their commitment to a clean space and clean eating.
Lewis said coming up with the name was one of the most difficult parts, taking several months. In the end, the name K Fresh won out by popular vote, with the “K” representing the Korean culture from which bibimbap comes from, and “Fresh” to represent the authentic freshness K Fresh maintains.
The commitment to freshness is one of the pillars of K Fresh’s business. All the vegetables are hand-sliced on a mandolin daily for precision and all products, even the kimchi, are made fresh, in-house to uphold the standard of being a gluten-free and vegan-friendly restaurant. Lewis’ commitment to her customers goes beyond the food and spreads over into service.
“Even if the food is amazing, it doesn’t matter because if your service is not great you’re going to have a bad taste in your mouth,” said Lewis.
There is a strong family influence throughout every aspect of K Fresh. Lewis’ business partner is family and her mom, who provided guidance along the way, is the owner of Red Rock Subs. Additionally, each of the wooden boxes for the stone bowls is hand-made by Lewis’s husband and family members helped renovate and continue to work at K Fresh.
Lewis claims that the beauty of owning K Fresh is in her passion for refueling people’s souls with quality food that they can trust, regardless of their dietary needs.
“It’s so fulfilling when people can eat here, that they have a place they can trust,” said Lewis. “There's a customer who said she hadn't been out to eat for two years because there was nowhere she could trust. To be able to provide options for people who have allergies is definitely the best part.”
Curious to give them a try? K Fresh is located at 1105 Hewitt Ave., Everett, WA 98201. Secret note: summer is just around the corner, and what many do not realize is that K Fresh is host to a beautiful back patio which is also dog-friendly!