By Jamin Buttafarro

This week, I sat down with Suffolk University alum Hunter Wadsworth, general manager of b.good: Boston, to talk about the breakout success of his healthy-option restaurants.

I met Wadsworth at the b.good on Washington Street, just around the corner from Beacon Street, west of campus.  The restaurant has a modern charm, where fast food meets local hang-out.  The signage around the restaurant details the local farmers who contribute to the menu with buckets of locally farmed potatoes on display and a “This is Frank” table-tent on every table.  Frank and his family have been running potato fields in Western Massachusetts for 100 years.  He also personally grows the potatoes that locally started b.good hand cuts daily to bake and serve alongside a myriad of fresh, local, and organic options.

The menus over the register highlight the variety of burgers, locally raised and all-natural beef, turkey, or veggie patties, along with the new smash-hit quinoa and kale bowls.  The menu also offers salads and sandwiches, with something for everyone.  The cooler by the register is shelved with different sized mason jars containing company-produced juices and spritzers, and the fountain machine is void of the average soft-drink logo, replaced by that of Maine Root soda.  Some chill, coffeehouse variety alternative rock is playing over the speakers, and everyone, including the employees, seems too happy for the words “fast” and “food” to be on the sign.

We grab a table, and I ask Wadsworth about how he became the general manager of all five Boston-area b.good restaurants.  Wadsworth grew up in Virginia and moved to Boston for college. He took a job as a cashier in a brand new restaurant group opening on Dartmouth Street in Back Bay.  Wadsworth knew that there was something big at this little restaurant serving a healthy variety of fresh foods fast.  During his time attending Suffolk University as a marketing major, Wadsworth established connections in b.good and his passion and talent put him in position to move into a management role.

Now, ten years after they first opened, Wadsworth is helping to pioneer the expansion of b.good with locations in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maine, and North Carolina (with plans for Toronto around the corner).

I asked Wadsworth what it is about b.good that fuels the company’s growth and following.  His answer was simple. ”Our whole focus was to create the fast-food atmosphere but using the methods of cooking and ingredients that make you feel good after eating it.”

Nearly all of the ingredients that b.good incorporates into their menu come from locally produced and health-conscious vendors. Even the Sir Kensington’s Ketchup they serve replaces the standard high-fructose corn syrup with organic cane sugar.

As b.good expands into new markets, Wadsworth is determined to keep every restaurant truly and uniquely local.  “Going forward, as we enter new markets, its a great way for us as a new business to build a great relationship with the local companies around us” he said.

b.good’s unique twist on fast food brings something new to the table. For those that don’t fret over health-factors when going out for a burger and fries, Wadsworth says not to worry.  “I always say that you can eat as healthy as you want here.  If you want to come in for a double bacon cheeseburger, we’ve got you covered on that.  If you want to come in for a quinoa bowl, we have that.  We really offer a great spectrum and you know what you’re eating.”

b.good offers free Wi-Fi and refills on drinks to make customers as comfortable as possible.  They also offer an “Family ID” program, a rewards program that encourages customers to return often.  By using the QR-coded keychain or mobile app, b.good will keep up on how often you dine and send coupons and free-food rewards, such as receiving a free burger on your birthday.

b.good has fantastic food at competitive prices with incentives to keep you coming back.  Five locations around Boston make it an option whenever you find yourself hungry, and with the Washington Street location just down the road from campus, there’s nothing stopping you from stacking up those free-food rewards fast!

Suggestion: try the quinoa bowls; if you haven’t heard of quinoa, it’s the best thing you can’t pronounce. If you have, then you will be delighted to find a place that does it superbly.  Stop in and see Wadsworth (and Frank).