By VALERIE NUTT, Staff Writer
vnutt@williamsonherald.com

Lunch is supposed to life you up, refresh you and send you back to work with new lift in your step.

At least that’s what Tom Jennings and the staff of his new Cool Springs restaurant Tossed think.

“It’s nice to eat at a place where you don’t have to take a nap after lunch,” Jennings said, smiling as he glances around the sun-lit, open floor plan of his latest venture, Tossed, an upscale, quick-service restaurant specializing in made-to-order salads.

The menu also boasts a list of sandwiches, melts, soups, crepes, and 14 salad concepts. If none of those will do a full page of their menu is a design-your-own section for salads and crepes, with veggies, cheeses, meat, fruits, chef inspired dressings and more.

“It’s hard to beat the Tossed Signature Salad,” Jennings warned. “And the Chef Inspired dressings are amazing. The flavors are vibrant.”

Tossed Signature Salad features baby field greens, roasted chicken, goat cheese, toasted almonds, mango, jicama, cucumber and dried cranberries, all tossed with sherry vinaigrette.

“I think this is the way people want to eat,” he added. “The menu is pre-selected but not pre-made.”

The Cool Springs location is the tenth Tossed to open in the country. Tossed is the brainchild of Marc Meisel, a chef and twelve-year veteran of the restaurant industry, and began in New York City in July 1998.

Since then Tossed’s vegetarian-friendly, healthy, fresh take on a franchise has earned them accolades from New York Magazine, Restaurant Business and others.

“This is the one and only Tossed in Tennessee,” Jennings said proudly. But the Cool Springs location is just the beginning for Tossed in Tennessee.

Tossed is expecting to open 20-25 franchised locations in 2007 with projections for 200 restaurants within five years and long-term potential for 1,000 U.S. locations exclusively through franchised locations. 

Other franchises are expected to open in Murfreesboro, Chattanooga and Nashville.

“I think it’s a great fit in a hip down town area, in a Green Hills or in a West End,” Jennings said.

Jennings became a fan of Tossed in 2000, and said he thinks it’s a perfect fit for Cool Springs.

“This is the way food is going, people want fresh, healthy food without having to sacrifice taste,” he said.

If any one would know, it might be Jennings. He has more than 30 years experience in the restaurant industry.

His Cool Springs location set new records in their first few days of business.

Tossed celebrated it’s grand opening Thursday, Sept. 13 at their Cool Springs location, 3301 Aspen Grove Drive. 

Posted on: 9/20/2007