We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan Klein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Entrepreneurial restaurateur and healthy eating mastermind Susan Klein has spent over 30 years in the food service industry, gaining firsthand knowledge and experience in aspects from purveyor relationships, menu development, ingredient preparation and the unhealthy habits that come along with the responsibilities. Her personal journey to reclaim her own health has served as the driving force behind her sensational South Florida nutrient-driven concepts, Fit Foodz Café and RIPE

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In addition to her thriving business, Klein has touched the community of South Florida with her philanthropy. She has donated both food and money to many charities and organizations and also participates in local events to show her support. “Giving back to my community is of the utmost importance,” she says. “If we thrive as a community, we can also thrive as individuals.”

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Empowered by her personal journey and education, Susan left the Italian restaurant to pursue her restaurateur dreams and launched Fit Foodz Café in September 2011. Her healthy and flavorful menu and pre-packaged meal service regularly sold out at local gyms, spurring her to open a brick and mortar location to better serve her growing community. Susan’s rapidly increasing impact through Fit Foodz Café inspired her to launch a fast casual franchise to further her reach to provide real food made for real people by real people. The RIPE concept takes the most popular items from the Fit Foodz Café menu, simplify services and cater to a variety of dietary preferences with a color-coded menu for ease of ordering based on dietary preference. The much-anticipated, highly-sought franchising opportunity opened its first location in early 2019, presenting South Floridians with its first widely accessible, fast-casual concept catering to an expansive variety of lifestyles.

Website: fitfoodzcafe.com and Ripedelray.com

Image Credits
Alissa Dragun Photography

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