New gluten-free restaurant to open in East Dundee this summer

East Dundee residents will soon have a healthy alternative to a fast-food restaurant.

Green Bean, a walk-up and drive-through restaurant, will offer healthy foods that are entirely free of GMO, gluten, nuts and high-fructose syrup. It is scheduled to open in August, managing partner Aaron Bush said.

Contractors are breaking ground at 455 E. Main St. on Monday, he said.

The restaurant is set up in a unique way, Bush said. When ordering, customers will first decide whether they want a salad, a wrap or a sandwich. From there, he said, they will pick a protein, and then they will choose a style of cuisine. Style options include Hawaiian, Caesar, Greek, Asian and Spanish.

Additionally, Green Bean will serve pastries and desserts such as cupcakes and gelato.

Bush said the idea for the restaurant stemmed from personal need.

"I am a busy, working individual, and I don't always have time to eat appropriately during my lunch break or when running to my office in the morning," Bush said. "I related it to other consumers that might find the need to move quickly and provide healthy alternatives for their families and for themselves."

Green Bean will likely be open 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., Bush said, and the food will be priced similarly to other fast-food establishments.

Just over a year ago, Bush and his two partners - investor and dietary manager Srinivas Ravanam, and chef/manager Michael Watson - started developing the menu design.

From there, Bush said, he traveled to Cost Rica to try out different coffee beans for the restaurant's premium coffee options. The group also started working with a bakery in Michigan to develop pastries and breads that are gluten-free but also taste good, especially because all items are made without gluten.

"The whole facility is gluten-free because we see that many restaurants offer gluten-free options, but cross contamination is much too common," Bush said. "We wanted people with Celiac disease to feel safe and have an entire menu to choose from."

Bush said 1 percent of the company's profits will go toward Fisher House Foundation, a national program that provides housing for veterans. Additionally, when the time comes to hire a staff, Bush said, the team will look to hire veterans.

East Dundee is the first of what Bush hopes will be many Green Bean locations. The team has already submitted an application to expand to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Bush said. They also hope to franchise the concept.