Melissa Frederick, The Examiner
2008-03-06 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

French fries cooked in olive oil are about to be more than just a Falls Church commodity.

The health-oriented restaurant Elevation Burger announced this week plans to expand from its original location through franchising.

The restaurant, which opened in 2005, has distinguished itself by offering burgers made with organic meat, two kinds of veggie burgers, and those aforementioned fries.

“We really believe in what we’re doing and we’re excited to bring that to a lot of people,” said Hans Hess, the owner of Elevation, who is also the founder of EnviroCab, Arlington’s all-hybrid taxi company.

According to Hess, Elevation expects to announce three franchise agreements in Virginia within about a week. He wants to first expand nationally, than locally.

The various locations will remain almost identical to the original, which has added just one menu item since its inception — mandarin oranges, Hess said. The restaurant will debut a new sign next month, and that’s about it.

“I have a very defined philosophy that you do one thing right, and you stick to it, so we have no intention of adding chicken or buffalo burgers or breakfast,” Hess said.

The company is partnering with Alexandria-based Fransmart to find franchisees for the new locations.

“There’s a whole movement toward fresher food, and organic is part of that,” said Herb Sorensen, global scientific director of Shopper Insights for TNS North America. “It’s more of an image thing — it says, ‘It’s fresh, It’s pure,’ and that if you have the money, you should go for it.”

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com