Many of us here in Tampa Bay are already pretty familiar with Evos, the healthy "fast food" chain with grease-free grub. The concept for the chain was born during a road trip where founders Dino Lambridis, Alkis Crassas and Michael Jeffers grew tired of the usual fast food meals along their trip, or as Lambridis likes to refer to them, "two hours of regret sitting in your stomach." The trio came up with the concept of a fast casual, counter service restaurant with food people wouldn't regret eating. They launched Evos in 1994 and now hold the titles of "Greenest Burger Chain in America" by Greenopia and second most sustainable restaurant chain in the U.S.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dino Lambridis, the company's Vice President and head of menu development, brand managing, and marketing, about what's currently going on with this Tampa-based company. There are four Evos in the Bay area, with a fifth to open soon, and the sustainable chain has expanded with franchise stores in California, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Although there have been some recent changes, Evos' core philosophy is still paramount. Each of their stores are built with sustainable materials, use Energy Star-certified equipment and CFL light bulbs, and offset a third of the energy powering their stores with wind-generated power. In addition to using to-go bags made from 100% recycled paper printed with soy-based ink, they now offer biodegradable cups and plastic bags.

This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2010.