McDonald’s better keep an eye on Erin McKool, the new queen of fast food. This mother of a four-year-old boy is opening up Start, a kid-friendly restaurant at 4814 Greenville Ave. that provides “good for you” food in a cutting edge environment. There WILL be a drive-through for moms-on-the-go. But really… healthy fast food? Isn’t this an oxymoron?
Owner McKool explains it best:
“Our food is healthy and handmade, but not necessarily ‘diet food.’ Organic and natural is critical to us, so all of our eggs, milk, sugar and many other items are organic. We only use meats and eggs from humanely raised animals, and we don’t use products that are raised on hormones and antibiotics, or treated with nitrates. Our bakery items are made with 100% whole wheat flour.”
The menu has everything from steel cut oatmeal with pecans, maple syrup, raisins, and dried cranberries to baked chicken and cheese empanadas. Substituting for a gluten-free English muffin or burger bun is just $1.50 extra, and over at the Kid’s Corner section, little ones can get grilled cheese sandwiches on multigrain bread with breaded and baked (or grilled) chicken bites. The only thing that’s missing are the french fries, but I guess those aren’t very healthy. Still, Start looks like a pretty darn good way to start and end the day, every day. Repeat this new mantra yourselves, folks: McKool’s is the new McDonald’s. McKool’s is the new McDonald’s.
