Healthy Habits teams with Virgin in Brisbane

Posted by Isobel Drake on 12th August 2008

Australia’s fastest growing sandwich franchise, Healthy Habits, has been welcomed on board as Virgin Blue’s official café and sandwich bar at their new Brisbane headquarters.

The franchise, which has 29 stores across Australia and is known for its smiley face logo, was given the nod after a lengthy tender process ruled out several major fast food and catering companies.

Healthy Habits founder and managing director Katherine Sampson said the new site at the Virgin Blue headquarters offered a lucrative business opportunity for one franchisee and would be the start of a new relationship with the airline. “Healthy Habits and Virgin Blue have similar brand values and attitudes on how business should be conducted and we’re looking forward to providing their staff with healthy and tasty food,” she said.

Glen Plummer, Virgin Blue Manager – Property, said they based their choice on Healthy Habits’ great reputation for healthy food. “We really wanted a cafe that would promote healthy eating to our staff and we know we’ve found a great match with Healthy Habits,” he said. “We chose Healthy Habits for its enthusiastic promotion of healthy eating and living. Our people want tasty and nutritious food options and of course, great coffee, and Healthy Habits will serve us up just that.”

Ms Sampson said the Virgin Blue precinct at Bowen Hills would see a massive increase in consumer traffic when all of Virgin Blue’s 1000 staff moved from their current headquarters in Fortitude Valley to the new site. “There is going to be hundreds of people stepping out for lunch each day so we’re really looking forward to the challenge,” she said. “Add the demand from the new Brisbane City Council offices already established near Virgin Blue HQ, and the residential developments going up around the area, and you’ve got a lot of sandwiches to sell.”

Ms Sampson added that the outlet would double as a bar for Friday night drinks.”The store will also operate as a bar on Friday nights so staff from Virgin Blue and surrounding businesses will have a place for a relaxing drink at the end of the week,” she reported.