ONaturals NEWS - Press Release

Portsmouth, NH – August 5, 2003 - Just two short years after opening its first restaurant in Falmouth, ME, O’Naturals, Inc. today announced the opening of their first New Hampshire location at 100 Market Street in downtown Portsmouth. The newest O’Naturals offers natural and organic meals for dine-in, take-out, and off-site catering and is located on the second story of the 100 Market Street building in the historic downtown district. This is the third opening for O’Naturals in the past six months proving that delicious, all-natural fast food that is not just a trend - it is here to stay. O’Naturals, a product of the entrepreneurial mind of Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm President and CEO, has now served more than a quarter of a million natural and organic meals in the last two years.

Fast Food “Revolution”
Outside the Portsmouth O’Naturals is plaque that documents the historical significance of the site on which 100 Market Street stands. On this plaque it is revealed that Paul Revere rode here in the months before his famous ride, and it is noted that this site was home to the place where the first armed uprising of American Patriots was planned in 1774. The inscription on the plaque concludes with: “Many of the first “seeds” of the American Revolution were planted here four months before the legendary “Shot Heard Around the World”. Gary Hirshberg, Co-Founder of O’Naturals, likes to draw a comparison between this earlier Revolution and the current Fast Food “Revolution” going on in the United States.

“The opening of the newest O’Naturals comes at a time when many of the fast food giants are losing ground due to increased consumer awareness of the link between traditional fast foods and obesity, heart disease and diabetes” explains Hirshberg. “Just look around -consumers are becoming more aware and better educated as to the health effects of the foods they consume, and the larger fast food chains are scrambling to introduce healthier options. Families are seeking healthier options when they dine out – wholesome, nutritious, and most importantly, delicious - this is what we provide our guests at O’Naturals!”

A Community Conscious Cafe
With the opening of this new location, O’Naturals has also unveiled a new program to help raise funds for local community organizations. Beginning this September, each O’Naturals location will host a Ten Percent Night – they will be held on Tuesdays in Portsmouth – and every week a different local organization will benefit from receiving ten percent of that evening’s sales. Don Littlefield, General Manager of O’Naturals, is very excited about this new program and has joined forces with the United Way of Portsmouth to help them organize this effort.

“Each location will host its own Ten Percent Nights, this way we can truly benefit our local community. Organizations such as the United Way are widely respected in downtown Portsmouth, and are aligned with our goals of supporting health and the environment. O’Naturals is proud to be working with them”, explains Littlefield. He adds: “In addition to Ten Percent Nights, each O’Naturals features a community table that is always available for local groups and organizations to use for smaller meetings and gatherings free-of-charge. Just let us know when you would like to use it, and we are happy to make this available.”

Deliciously Different
O’Naturals prides itself on only preparing food to order, and every item is prepared directly in front of its customers. The menu includes natural hormone-free, antibiotic-free steak and chicken sandwiches served on warm organic flatbread, as well as a variety of vegetarian options, including stir-fried Asian noodles. Tossed salads are prepared individually for each customer from fresh produce. The O'Naturals answer to the french fry is organic, Maine-grown heirloom potatoes that are roasted in olive oil with herbs, not fried. On Sunday mornings you can even stop by O’Naturals for Brunch. For kids, mac and cheese, tortilla dogs or oven baked chicken nuggets would fit most fast food menus except these items are made with natural and organic ingredients. The meal price ranges from $4 for kids to between $5.75 and $8.00 for adults.

Beer, Wine & Other “Bytes”
In addition to serving a variety of all-natural and organic fast foods, O’Naturals also features a variety of organic wines, and locally micro brewed beers to complement your meal. Quite unlike most fast food establishments, parents can enjoy a glass of wine or an ice-cold beer with their meals, while their children can sip a delicious Stonyfield Farm yogurt smoothie. If you are looking to feed more than just your belly while dining at O’Naturals, guests can also feed their brains while surfing the Internet. O’Naturals has teamed up with Portsmouthwifi.org, a local group focused on increasing Internet accessibility, to make access to the net available at each table.

Determined to not only be better for your health but better for the environment as well, O’Naturals incorporates a strong social and environmental message into each restaurant. Many of the materials that have been used in the construction are also environmentally friendly or recycled. The decorative wall panels come from post-harvest agricultural wheat chaff. To enjoy the setting, customers are encouraged to linger on leather sofas and chairs while reading, surfing the Internet, or taking part in the variety of community activities planned for each location. O’Naturals also provides one hour of free parking, with validation, for all of their guests in the High-Hanover parking garage across the street from O’Naturals.

"We are thrilled with the reception that we have received from the community here in Portsmouth!” exclaims Mac McCabe, President of O’Naturals. “To occupy a site which has so much historical significance, gives us a great sense of pride. Being located right off of Market Square will truly allow us to become an integral part of the neighborhood here in Portsmouth, and we look forward to serving the community delicious, all-natural and organic meals for many years to come.”

An additional O’Naturals location is scheduled to open early next year, in Hingham, Massachusetts. For more information on O’Naturals please visit www.onaturals.com.