Fresh Kitchen just made one of its biggest menu changes in 11 years. The fast casual brand known for bowls and clean ingredients has officially removed all seed oils from its restaurants.
The shift includes a new rosemary chicken, an updated creamy white ginger sauce and refreshed scratch recipes across the menu. Primo Amicucci, VP of Culinary, said the change reflects “where food is going and what guests want.”
In this article, we explain what changed, why it matters and what guests can expect next.
What happened?
Fresh Kitchen is now 100% seed oil-free across all 16 locations in Tampa, St Pete, Sarasota, Orlando, Gainesville, Miami and Lakeland.
Primo said the change took more than a year and required rebuilding sauces and proteins, as well as refreshing several scratch-kitchen recipes.
“We looked at every ingredient and made sure it lined up with our Good Food Forever ethos,” he said. “Nothing was bought premade. We made everything from scratch with what we had in-house.”
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Fresh Kitchen already uses 100% olive oil, but a few items include sesame oil as a finishing ingredient. Those are now fully removed.
The team also launched a new rosemary chicken. It is a seared rosemary-forward chicken dressed in a warm citrus sauce with hints of garlic. The team replaced sweet potatoes due to supplier issues and rolled out herb-roasted carrots with an elevated but familiar flavor profile.
“We took the citrus notes and added fresh herbs to level it up,” Primo said.
The last item to be updated was the creamy white ginger sauce, which is now plant-based and seed oil-free.
Why this matters
More guests want clean ingredients when they search for healthy food near them and Primo sees that shift every day.
He said younger diners are pushing the trend and asking for restaurants that are transparent about what goes into their food. “It is amazing to see that it is the younger generation pushing the health conscious mindset,” he said.
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This change fits Fresh Kitchen’s Good Food Forever ethos. The brand already used antibiotic and hormone-free meats, 100% olive oil, hand-cut vegetables, responsibly sourced salmon, no hidden sugar and an entirely gluten-free menu.
Removing seed oils was the next step in building nutrient-dense meals that match what guests expect from a healthy restaurant.
“Seed oils were the number one thing people asked about on social and at events,” Primo said. “So we invested the time and money to make it happen.”
What you should know
Fresh Kitchen rebuilt one sauce and several marinades from scratch to remove seed oils.
Primo said the work took months in their internal test kitchen. “It was painstaking at times,” he said. “Clean food with fewer ingredients costs more and takes more labor but it was worth it.”
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Staff across all locations were retrained. Leaders added new quality checks to make sure food tastes the same in every restaurant.
“We make everything every single day. Very little carries over. If we make a sauce, it is gone by the end of the night,” Primo said.
What’s next?
Fresh Kitchen will continue to evolve its menu. The team is testing sweet potatoes from new farms and will bring them back once quality standards are met. New proteins, marinades and sauces are already in development for 2026.
“We want to stay fresh and keep improving,” Primo said.
Fresh Kitchen now operates 16 locations and will open a new Tampa restaurant on W Kennedy Blvd in 2026. Leadership is also expanding composting, reusable bowls, ESG tracking and community partnerships as part of its long-term impact plan.
“It is inspiring to see guests respond. I grew up in the 90s, eating however I wanted. This has been a huge change in my life and I want to share it with everyone in Tampa,” he said.
Takeaway
Fresh Kitchen’s move to a 100% seed oil-free menu is one of its biggest changes in 11 years.
It required rebuilding key recipes, updated training and new systems, but it reflects what today’s diners want and where Florida’s food scene is going.
Primo said it best: “It is inspiring to see guests respond. I want to share this change with everyone in Tampa.”
Fresh Kitchen is positioning itself as a leader in clean food across Florida.
