DURHAM, N.C. — In 2023, customizable, build your own bowls have become a staple. But the question is, how fresh are these ingredients? 

At Farmside Kitchen, fresh is the mission.

What You Need To Know

  • Farmside Kitchen opened in April 2021
  • Its bowls feature many local North Carolina crops
  • The company was founded by and is run by women, with a focus on helping marginalized groups

“So part of Farmside’s mission is to better our planet,” Elizabeth Blunt, experience manager at Farmside, said. “We don’t just want to be a restaurant that is pushing out food. We want to create a happier and healthier way of life.” 

Blunt says that mission to better the planet starts with supporting local.

She joined the team here because she loves the mission.

“We want to benefit our community, and what better way to do that than support local,” Blunt said.

Items like sweet potatoes are brought fresh to Farmside Kitchen every week through a partnership that is built on clean and sustainable farming. 

Only the best will make it on the assembly line.

Along with what they source locally, Farmside is even growing some of their ingredients right here in house, including their in-house basil garden. 

It’s not every day you get to see your food grow before your eyes. 

“People are like, 'hey, what can I order that will have this in it,' and I love that they enjoy eating the food they are seeing,” Blunt said.

Farmside is a woman founded and run company.

Blunt said they understand firsthand what it means to defy the odds, and that’s why they work closely with many marginalized groups and farms.

“We want them to know that this small restaurant here in Durham, North Carolina, has not forgotten them,” Blunt said. “We are thinking about them, and we want to support them when and where we can.”

From the greens, to the juices, to the bread that accompanies each bowl, every bite and sip carries a hint of North Carolina with it. 

When they opened in April 2021, they didn’t know what to expect, but the community has gladly welcomed their fresh perspective. 

“It worked for us. We were a new concept, so we wanted to make sure we knew exactly what we were doing,” Blunt said. “Now we have those lines out the door. People can get in and out, fast, delicious food, and we know exactly what we are doing.”