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Our Story

OUR STORY

CERTIFIED NUTRISTIONIST OPENS HER OWN LOCAL

HOMETOWN CAFE.

With the help of Mosaic Architecture of Snohomish, the planning began and construction finally started on November 27th, 2007. Anne took great care to make the construction process environmentally friendly as well as sustainable. She used eco-friendly paints, recyclable carpet, found salvaged building materials and old church pews at Seattle Second Use, frequented GB Murphy auctions where she bought lamps, chairs, and many restaurant supplies. Many of Anne’s friends put in long hard hours helping bring it all together. Just about two years after the seed was planted, Washington’s first Grilla Bites opened in Snohomish on March 13th, 2008.

 

Anne

Anne Dottai, known to many as Annie, discovered the original Grilla Bites in downtown Chico, Ca when her daughter, Deanna, started college there in 2004. When Anne went to help Deanna get moved into her dorm, Deanna was very excited to take her mom to the cool little organic café she had found. Both Anne and Deanna have multiple food allergy issues and need to avoid dairy and egg, so it was thrilling to find somewhere with lots of vegan choices for both breakfast and lunch. Anne particularly loved the vegan chocolate chip cookies! A couple years later when Anne was back for another visit, she learned that more Grilla Bites were springing up, so she looked online when she got back to Washington and thought, “this would be so perfect for Snohomish”. Anne has a nutrition degree from Bastyr University and an active nutritional counseling practice in Snohomish, so she has gotten to know the community well and knew that the menu and local, sustainable theme of Grilla Bites would be a welcome addition.

HOW IT BEGAN: Meet the Owner

 

OUR MENU:

 

One of the things we love about our menu is that you can find something whether you are a meat lover or a vegan, and we specialize in providing wholesome foods that are organic when possible, and we avoid food ingredients with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, or GMOs. For example, our bison burgers and hot dogs are organic, grass fed; our ham and turkey are hormone and antibiotic free; our tofu is organic and from non-GMO soy.

 

Anne’s background in nutrition and compassion for the growing numbers of people with food intolerances, such as dairy and gluten, make her strive to bring a variety of quality, tasty choices to the menu so that almost anyone can find a number of great things to try. The soups are made in house with organic ingredients, including house made veggie stock. The salad bar has all organic produce and several fun sides like Lemon Garlic Quinoa Salad. All sandwiches are served on artisan organic bread from Essential Bakery, but Anne does offer both gluten free breads and buns when needed, so almost any sandwich or burger can be enjoyed gluten free.

 

We have proudly served organic fair-trade coffee from Batdorf & Bronson since we opened and continue to get rave reviews of our coffee and espresso. Our organic juice and smoothie bar keep us quite busy, with the Green Power smoothie being a running top favorite.

 

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

 

Grilla Bites is now also a host site for CSA boxes (community supported agriculture) and has about 20 people a week that pick up their local organic produce boxes at Grilla Bites.

 

 

 

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