MAD Greens cofounders Marley Hodgson and Dan Long were shocked by the lack of quick, healthy food available in Colorado when they moved here in 1991. They decided to do something about it, and they struck an instant chord with health-focused Coloradans while also landing on forefront of the healthy eating revolution.

Now entering its second decade of business, MAD Greens recently opened its 14th store in Lone Tree at 10002 Common St., near Sprouts in RidgeGate’s Lincoln Commons Shopping Center. Snooze will open in the space next door in late June.

The “MAD” in the restaurant’s name comes from “Marley and Dan,” New York City natives who’ve known one another since first grade.

“Both our moms were great cooks, so good food was sort of engrained in us,” Hodgson said.

Their philosophy: Good food doesn’t need to be serious or expensive. “Eating should be fun,” Long said. To that end and in keeping with the restaurant’s name, they name their items after people who were famously mad. Thus: the Mad Molly Brown and Ty Cobb salads, and Annie Oakley sandwich among others.

Their food: Some of their produce comes from MAD Greens’ own small farm near Denver International Airport. Though the company plans to open its first out-of-state restaurant later this year, Hodgson and Long say they won’t lose their dedication to quality and freshness.

“We never want to compromise the quality to grow quickly,” Hodgson said.

What they love about Lone Tree: “The amount of growth here is just spectacular,” Long said. “With Schwab and Sky Ridge, this area’s got a great day office population and evening residential population.”

Want to know more? Visit www.madgreens.com.

Article courtesy of Lone Tree Voice