Sabena Branche has always had a passion for make-your-own restaurants. “I just love going to them and I thought it would be fun to own one,” she says. Couple that with a desire to ditch her 90-minute commute for her real estate broker job and a hankering to finally be her own boss, Branche decided to take the leap. In April, she opened Butterhead Salad Company on Beacon’s lively Main Street to rave reviews (and long lines at lunch time).
The menu is a toss up of all the things Branche loves about make-your-own franchises: customers can choose their greens, proteins, toppings, and dressings (most of which are house made). In a hurry? Select a signature salad that Branche curated based on months of research. There’s the Farmhouse Caesar—which has untraditional ingredients such as roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli—or the Shroomfu—a mix of arugula, red cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, basil, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds with sesame-ginger dressing.
Butterhead also serves quinoa bowls (roasted sweet potato, sesame-ginger tofu, or chicken fajita) and customizable warm rice bowls for those who want something a bit more filling. “Everything here is really fresh,” says Branche, who arrives at 8:30 a.m. each morning to begin prepping for the noon rush. “We make our own pico de gallo and corn salsa.” There’s also a selection of house-made yogurt parfaits, falafel, and kids’ bento boxes.
The building that Butterhead is housed in is a new construction, which gave Branche the opportunity to craft her bright and airy space from the ground up. She utilized her design know-how from the nearly two decades she spent as a realtor, as well as what she learned when she helped her sister set up a clothing boutique, House of Maxx, located right next door.
An exposed brick wall behind the counter displays the chalkboard framed menu and there are a few wooden tables and bamboo chairs next to the front window. The wall of the dining area is partially covered in a gorgeous peacock print wallpaper and the catchphrase “Lettuce Feed Your Soul” is prominently featured—which is what Branche hopes to do for everyone who walks into her shop. “I want people to feel like they’re in my kitchen when they come in,” she says.
Butterhead Salad Company
208 Main Street, Beacon
butterheadsaladcompany.com
845.440.6222
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