Fast-food chains exist all across the city, but a healthy alternative can be trickier to find. Forest Hill Farmhouse is a new, fast casual salad concept that caters to those who want to live an active healthy lifestyle while juggling a busy schedule.

The brainchild of Blair Bitove, the space will officially open on Dec. 12 at 2 Lola Rd. in midtown just off of Yonge Street and south of Eglinton Avenue. Bitove is currently the vice- president of Obelysk Foods Ltd., where she oversees the development of American fast- food fried chicken chain Dave’s Hot Chicken’s expansion into
Canada. In September 2021, Bitove’s father and businessman, John Bitove (founder of the Toronto Raptors), opened the third location of the franchise in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood.

Alongside a lineup of 10 signature salads, Forest Hill Farmhouse offers a variety of nutritious build-your-own bowls and refreshing beverages from local suppliers, including Two Bears Coffee, makers of flash-brewed non-dairy frothed lattes and calorie and sugar-free non- alcoholic sparkling water from City Seltzer.

All salads will be priced between $14 and $19 and are created using fresh, local ingredients, like grilled eggplant, sweet cherry tomatoes, avocado, kale, chickpeas, quinoa and more. The chicken found in several of the salads and bowls is marinated and oven roasted in- house.

“I found it very hard to find a salad that I enjoyed eating in the city,” Bitove says. “I would make my own salads at home, which is always time consuming for one person and leaves you with a lot of leftover ingredients. That’s
when I came up with the idea for FH Farmhouse. I wanted to create a place where it was easy  to find a quick delicious salad.”

Forest Hill Farmhouse will be open for pickup and delivery on December 12. In 2023, Forest Hill Farmhouse will launch a members-only Salad Club, which will allow subscribers to purchase a monthly subscription for a set amount of salads.