“The first thing I would show everybody is the carrots,” says CoreLife Eatery manager Steven Maiorana, gesturing to the huge print of a bunch of carrots overlaid with text describing core principles of the New York-based health-focused chain. CoreLife has opened more than fifty locations since a group of friends in Syracuse set out to create a simple, healthy option to fit their dietary needs. Joyce Lunsford’s Maple Village franchise is the first in eastern Michigan, and Maiorana says it took a while to set up the location and find local suppliers like Detroit’s LaGrasso Bros. produce.
Featured on the print are CoreLife’s commitments to healthy, sustainable food made from scratch. “There is very little waste that we actually throw away,” says Maiorana. “All the ends of celery, the carrot peels, the tops of onions–the stuff that usually gets thrown away–gets put in our broths.” Plus, “we are fully GMO-free and 100 percent gluten-free.” That may be a slight overstatement, as CoreLife does offer bread as a side (shipped and stored separately from the rest of the food). “It gets hidden behind the register,” assures Maiorana. “If anything touches it, it’s gone.”
The restaurant, which took over the former Sofia’s Tailoring plus half of the old RadioShack in one of the center’s small outbuildings, has a fast-casual feel. In addition to the carrots, other posters throughout the space feature motivational messages like “Food is our common ground” and “Get in the game. Life isn’t a spectator sport.”
The menu centers on build-your-own bowls. The large menu with small type above the stainless-steel-and-glass counter can be overwhelming, but larger, less intimidating boards featuring both premade dishes and individual ingredients line the winding, sectioned-off order line.
Vegan options with seasonal root vegetables, avocado, and raw grains like quinoa abound, but Maiorana says they’re committed to offering “something for everyone.” Gesturing to one of the boards, he says “these bowls are what we call ‘dad bowls’–the barbecue ranch chicken for instance.”
CoreLife Eatery, 205 N. Maple Suites. 26. (Maple Village) (734) 412-4101. Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m. corelifeeatery.com
