Eater Inside

Tour The Very First Nic’s Organic Fast Food in Chicago’s Suburbs

It’s the area’s first organic fast-food chain

by Ashok Selvam@Shokdiesel Feb 20, 2017, 11:42am CST

This is the first Nic’s Organic Fast Food, opening soon in Rolling Meadows.

Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

Chicago’s suburbs have famously already seen the launch of one fast-food giant thanks to Ray Kroc and McDonald’s in Des Plaines. The very first Nic’s Organic Fast Food opens sometime this month in Rolling Meadows and their ownership team hopes the debut of Chicagoland’s first organic fast-food chain will also lead to success at 2101 S. Plum Grove Road. They’re attempting to create a recognizable brand that includes a mascot.

Farmer Nic wants to tell customers about the virtues of eating organic foods. If a cartoony mascot isn’t credible enough, perhaps seals of approval will help. Throughout the restaurant there’s stamps that read “USDA Organic” and “Quality Assurance International Certified Organic.” QAI’s approval meant a lot to CEO Benjamin Brittsan, as it should tell customers how serious Nic’s is when it comes to serving food without pesticides and chemicals. They’ve launched a website with more info.

But don’t mistake organic for fat free. This isn’t a place to come to lose weight. There’s burgers, fries and chicken nuggets on the menu. However, there are options like a veggie burger and salad. The aim is a cleaner version of the fast food many Americans grew up eating. Burgers cost about $5. Add fries and a drink and the meal costs under $8.

Interior wise, check out the LED menu screens. They picked a simple and clean look. Nic’s is also the country’s first organic fast-food drive-thru, which is a boon for the car-centric suburbs.

Both Brittsan and his wife, Nicolette Brittsan, have dreams of expanding all across the country. Check out the photos below of their first restaurant in the Northwest Suburbs, a 10-minute drive north from Woodfield Mall.