From Closet to National Brand: The Clean Eatz Journey

Adam Merlino grew up next door to his family's Italian restaurant—a fourth-generation operation where he learned early that success in this business comes down to the details nobody sees. He trained at Le Cordon Bleu and spent years as a working chef in hotels, restaurants, and cruise ships before leading nutrition services for a Colorado school district and the athletic training table at the University of Colorado. Today, Adam brings that operational perspective to Oil Solutions Group, helping multi-unit restaurant operators reduce costs through smarter fryer oil management. He's spent years in this niche—including previous work with closed loop fryer oil systems—because he believes the fundamentals still matter most.

Clean Eatz co-founder Evonne Varady launched the business alongside her husband, Don, in 2013 with a mission to “Change Livez” through clean, balanced food, thought-provoking education and motivational support that inspires results. As a personal trainer who wondered why her clients in her kickboxing group were working so hard and not losing weight the idea of creating Clean Eatz was born. She began prepping and packaging healthy meals for them, and six weeks later, they had all lost weight. The prepared meals were wildly successful and before long, she was making hundreds of meals in her home kitchen. She soon realized she needed to rent space to keep up with the demand, and that was the beginning of Clean Eatz. Today, Clean Eatz is a health-focused cafe and meal prep service offering a range of options including dine-in, takeout and meal plans with customizable menus catering to various dietary needs. With 100+ restaurants open in 23 states, Clean Eatz is now one of the fastest-growing franchises on the East Coast.