The Four Corners Business Journal  |  August 10-17, 2009


FARMINGTON COUPLE OPENS AREA'S FIRST 'ECO-FRIENDLY' RESTAURANT

By Debra Mayeux
FCBJ editor

FARMINGTON - Walking into Farmington's new pizza restaurant is pleasant on the senses. The air smells f roasted tomatoes and peppers, melting Parmesan cheese and fresh-rolled dough.
The walls pop with a mixture of red print and stainless steel, while in the back of the restaurant there is a clear view of a large red-brick oven. Along one wall there are four flat-screen televisions above four family sized booths. A remote is attached to the wall for the customer's watching pleasure.
This is the design of all the 100-plus RedBrick Pizza franchises in the country. Farmington is the newest location for the California-based business.
Owners Matthew and Alicia Brandit opened their doors two months ago in the strip mall next to Ashley Furniture on East Main Street.
The Brandts knew they wanted a restaurant after running two other businesses for the past five years. They were not sure what would fit, but after learning about RedBrick Pizza their decision was made.
What attracted them to the business was the eco-friendly construction and products. Everywhere one looks in a RedBrick Pizza, there are recycled products. The tables are made from recycled wood, the plastic containers are made from corn and the employees' uniforms are made from recycled tires.
"The owner is very conscientious about our environment for our children's future," Alicia Brandt said.
Alicia is a registered nurse, who also operates Links, a personal-care agency. Matthew owns Yard work Unlimited.
The couple used to eat out every night of the week. This what led them into the restaurant industry.
"We always went to restaurants anticipating good customer service. ...We wanted ot open a restaurant where customers service is good and it's clean," Matthew said.
The restaurant provides a fast-casual dining experience, where customers order at the counter and their food is later brought to their table. Despite the lack of waitresses, Matthew said, there is consistent checking up on customers to address their needs.
Typical of other fast-casual restaurants, the food, although prepared fast, tends to have a better health aspect to it.
"Our products—all of our food is 100 percent healthy. The CEO picks meats that are heart-healthy with no MSG and low sodium," Matthew said. The dough is hand-rolled, and the salads are hand-tossed.
"We didn't just want another pizza joint," he said. "We wanted something that was heart-healthy and good for the environment."
The olive oil is classified as heart-healthy, the cream in the gelato is hormone and trans fat free and all of the bread products are fire-roasted, according ot the menu, which also offers a color coated list of suggested wine pairing with each order.
"Most of the ingredients are made by RedBrick." Matthew said. Those items are shipped to the Farmington franchise, where they are created into gourmet-style pizzas, salads and sandwiches.
Each order is made behind a glass wall, allowing customers to watch their food being prepared and cooked in the 1,000-degree brick oven.
"We're on stage, because you can watch your food being made," Alicia said.
RedBrick not only has a commitment to quality, Alicia said the restaurant is dedicated to community outreach. Fundraising opportunities are available to local schools, clubs and churches. The restaurant offers Charity Cafes during which a percentage of sales during a specified time period goest to charity.
RedBrick Pizza is located at 5150 E. Main St. Suite 113. The telephone number is 505.326.6222.