Nature's Table

What Nature's Table does

Nature's Table is a U.S. fast-casual restaurant franchisor founded in 1977, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and currently operated under the Fast Fresh Brands platform with sponsorship from private equity firm DIA Equity Partners. The company sells a health-conscious menu spanning breakfast, wraps, sandwiches, salads, protein bowls, rotating soups, smoothies, and açai bowls, branded around hormone-free proteins, gluten-friendly options, and biodegradable packaging. Its owned product surface is purely operational — recipes, menu, training curriculum, and brand standards — with no proprietary technology stack; consumer-facing ordering is delivered through third-party platforms Toast and Order.online, and catering is routed through ezcater. The franchise disclosure defines a 10-year term, a $30,000 initial franchise fee (reduced for additional units), a 5% ongoing royalty on sales, and a 1% annual advertising contribution, alongside an 80-hour pre-opening training program run from the Orlando headquarters.

Nature's Table does not operate retail locations itself; distribution is entirely via franchisees, and its disclosed footprint consists of 40+ franchise cafés concentrated in Florida, Indiana, and Ohio, with named operators including CC Holdings, Inc. (Kimberly Hendren) running four university and healthcare-venue cafés in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and Yuen and Namil Kang operating an office-building café in Tampa. The franchise development strategy explicitly avoids traditional street-front retail and instead targets five non-traditional verticals with codified minimum-facility thresholds: hospitals with 3,000+ FTE, colleges with 5,000+ undergraduate students, office complexes above 300,000 occupied square feet, transportation centers with 1M+ boardings per concourse, and dominant retail-anchored centers.

The corporate organization is small (1–10 disclosed employees), consistent with an asset-light franchisor that monetizes through upfront fees, recurring royalties, and marketing contributions rather than direct food sales. Recent activity has emphasized platform consolidation (Toast + ezcater integrations), multi-unit franchisee scaling, and a territorial franchise disclosure that carves out future expansion markets, all consistent with the parent platform's playbook of building differentiated non-traditional-venue restaurant brands.

Name

Nature's Table

Legal name

Nature's Table Café

Website

https://naturestable.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nature's Table is a 1977-founded, Orlando-based fast-casual restaurant franchisor operating 40+ cafés in non-traditional venues (hospitals, universities, office complexes, airports) across Florida, Indiana, and Ohio, monetizing through franchise fees, royalties, and ad contributions under the Fast Fresh Brands platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-casual restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Fast-casual dining
• Franchise restaurants
• Healthy menu items
• Specialty salads wraps
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Nature's Table generates revenue through franchise fees charged to new franchisees. The initial franchise fee is $30,000 for the first restaurant, with reduced rates for additional restaurants.
2. Royalty Fees: Franchisees pay ongoing royalty fees of 5% of sales to Nature's Table, providing recurring revenue from the franchise network.
3. Advertising Fees: Franchisees are required to invest 1% of sales annually in advertising, contributing to brand marketing efforts.
4. Retail Food & Beverage Sales: Nature's Table locations generate revenue through direct sales of food and beverages including breakfast items, wraps, sandwiches, salads, protein bowls, soups, smoothies, and acai bowls to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nature's Table is a fast-casual restaurant franchise concept selling health-conscious menu items including wraps, sandwiches, salads, protein bowls, soups, smoothies, and açai bowls. The company licenses its brand and operating system to franchisees who operate cafes in non-traditional venues such as hospitals, universities, airports, office complexes, and retail centers, and provides training, site selection, and operational support. Nature's Table also offers catering services through the ezCater platform.

Product overview

Nature's Table is a fast-casual restaurant chain offering health-conscious dining options. The core product portfolio includes breakfast items (Healthy Start Bowl, Breakfast Burritos, Avocado Toast), wraps (Texas Club, Chipotle, Sesame Thai), sandwiches (toasted and cold options), salads (Fandangled, Fiesta Chicken, Mediterranean), protein bowls (Latin Citrus, Chipotle, Greek), soups (rotating daily selection), smoothies (fruit, yogurt, and veggie varieties), and açai bowls. The company also provides catering services and franchise opportunities. Founded in 1977, it operates as part of Fast Fresh Brands and is backed by DIA Equity Partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Breakfast Menu Morning fare including Healthy Start Bowl, Breakfast Bowl, Breakfast Quesadilla, Avocado Toast, Breakfast Sandwich, Classic/Mediterranean/Santa Fe Burritos, Breakfast Panini, Breakfast Potatoes, Bagels, Muffins, juices, and coffee served to customers at franchise locations.
• Wraps Flavorful wrapped sandwiches including Texas Club, Spicy Buffalo, Turkey Swiss & Slaw, Chipotle, Sesame Thai, Carnitas, Chicken Caesar, and Mediterranean varieties sold at franchise locations.
• Sandwiches Toasted and cold sandwiches including Chicken Tapenade, BBQ Pork & Slaw, 3 Cheese & Tomato, Turkey Cranberry, Baja Turkey Jack, Turkey Club, California Club, Chicken Salad, All Natural Turkey, Signature Tuna Salad, and Avocado & Cucumber.
• Salads Fresh salads including Fandangled, Fiesta Chicken, Chicken Caesar, Taco, and Mediterranean Chicken varieties sold at franchise locations.
• Protein Bowls Protein-rich bowls built on a base of Spinach, Baby Kale, Red Quinoa, and Brown Rice, including Latin Citrus, Chipotle Chicken, Sesame Thai, Carnitas, Greek, and Chili-cado varieties.
• Soups Daily rotating soup selection including Tomato Basil Bisque, Vegetarian Chili, Boston Clam Chowder, Butternut Squash, Chicken Noodle, Hearty Vegetable, Italian Wedding, Kale & Sweet Potato, and Lentil & Chickpea.
• Smoothies Fruit, yogurt, and fruit-and-veggie smoothies made with 100% fruit juice and real fruit, including Siesta Cooler, Hawaiian Crush, Tropical Oasis, Mango Fusion, Rain Forest Rhumba, and Kale & Spinach varieties.
• Açai Bowls Refreshing açai bowls including Traditional (338 calories), Small Bowl, and Large Bowl, with customizable toppings such as Banana, Blueberry, Coconut, Granola, Honey, Pineapple, and Strawberry.
• Catering Services Catering service delivering health-conscious menu options for events, available at select Nature's Table locations through the ezCater partnership, enabling corporate and group orders.
• Franchise Opportunities Franchise program selling the right to own and operate Nature's Table fast-casual restaurants, including 10-day training at the Orlando headquarters, in-house site selection, operational support, and access to established vendor relationships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Some franchisees have been successfully operating Nature's Table locations for over 30 years.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ali's Hope FoundationminorOthersNature's Table partners with Ali's Hope Foundation to inspire hope and improve the quality of life for adolescence living with mental health concerns. The partnership focuses on community support and mental health awareness initiatives.
• ezcatercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorezcater is Nature's Table's catering partner, enabling corporate and event catering orders through their platform. Catering is available at select locations.
• ToastcoreTechnology or IntegrationToast provides the online ordering platform for Nature's Table locations, powering direct consumer orders through naturestable.toast.site/order.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sweetgreen: Fast-casual salad and bowl chain with strong technology platform and health-conscious positioning. Direct overlap on salads, protein bowls, and açai bowls, with comparable price points and target consumer.
• Smoothie King: Franchise-led smoothie and health-focused chain serving a similar health-conscious consumer. Comparable franchise economics, smoothie category overlap, and target demographic of fitness- and wellness-oriented customers.
• Cava: Fast-casual Mediterranean-inspired chain offering salads, grain bowls, and wraps with a health-conscious menu. Comparable format, overlapping Mediterranean and protein bowl menu items, and similar consumer demographic.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Franchise-based fast-casual concept focused on smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and salads with a health-conscious positioning. Comparable franchise model, similar menu architecture (smoothies + wraps + bowls), and overlapping health-conscious consumer target.

Regional players

• Au Bon Pain: Cafe chain historically concentrated in non-traditional locations including hospitals, universities, and airports. Direct overlap with Nature's Table's institutional location strategy and comparable soups, salads, and sandwich menu.

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: National fast-casual powerhouse offering bowls, salads, and wraps with customizable healthy options. Competes for the same health-conscious fast-casual consumer with vastly greater scale, marketing budget, and digital infrastructure.
• Panera Bread: Established fast-casual chain offering soups, salads, sandwiches, and bowls in non-traditional venues including hospitals and universities. Comparable menu categories and significant overlap in institutional location strategy.
• Jamba: Established franchise smoothie and bowl chain with comparable smoothie and açai bowl offerings. Overlap in smoothie category and franchise-driven growth model, with broader brand recognition but narrower menu scope.

Emerging players

• Salad and Go: Emerging fast-casual concept focused on affordable healthy salads, wraps, and bowls with a drive-thru model. Comparable menu focus on health-conscious offerings targeting value-oriented consumers in non-traditional dayparts.
• Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh: Franchise-based fast-casual Mediterranean chain offering wraps, salads, and bowls. Comparable franchise model, Mediterranean protein bowl overlap, and similar health-conscious positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/natures_table
• Facebookfacebook.com/naturestable

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nature's Table