Vivalia Brings 100% Organic Lunch to the Downtown Office Crowd

Vivalia Bistro Express soft opens today in Old Port. Started by Jean-Paul Widmer and Fernando Petruzziello, the restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and seeks to bring healthy, 100% organic food to the downtown office crowd.

You may recognize the Vivalia name from the company’s line of organic vegan snacks. But carnivores need not worry. The restaurant will have both meat dishes and vegan options. The menu includes a salad bar, panini, wraps, and a hot food buffet with three vegan options and three meat options. Breads are baked in-house, and sauces are made onsite. Breakfast consists mostly of baked goods, smoothies, and coffee with a plan to expand those options in the next few months.

The restaurant was designed to feel like an oasis from office life: all bright open space, lots of plants, and plenty of natural light. The owners picked Old Port because they wanted to make "good food for people working hard," encouraging everyone to get out of the office and take a healthy lunch break. As far as organic lunch options go, the prices are more than reasonable.