ANEU Kitchens is taking its biggest step yet with plans to open a wellness center and commissary, marking the latest chapter in founder Meridith Coyle’s journey.
“We’re currently trending as the Erewhon of South Jersey, but I want people to see that we’re the Erewhon of the East Coast,” Coyle told What Now Philadelphia.
Coyle grew up in the restaurant industry, helping out at a restaurant owned by her parents, Irene and Richard Coyle. Her father hoped she’d choose a different career path, but she didn’t.
“My father sent both my brother and myself to college and then graduate school to do anything but be in the food industry. Yet, he is the reason I do what I do,” Coyle said.
At 22, Coyle left graduate school after her father became ill. She began helping at his shop, Fresh Ideas, where she searched for ways to support him through nutrition. In the process, she developed a passion for healthy eating.
“When he got sick, I got the love of food as medicine, so I started doing that. Twenty-five years ago, I went back to school and became an integrated nutritionist, vegan chef and macrobiotic practitioner. I’ve done everything to tell you what that piece of food does in your mouth,” she said.
Coyle brought the idea to life in a small kitchen, creating nutritious recipes before growing it into ANEU Kitchens, the health-focused cafe, market and catering company specializing in made-from-scratch prepared meals, fresh juices, salads and other nutritious grab-and-go foods.
After building successful cafes in Paoli, Bryn Mawr, Margate and Ocean City and recently expanding into Ardmore and Valley Forge, Coyle is bringing her most ambitious project yet to Wayne: a 20,000-square-foot commissary and wellness center on Old Eagle School Road featuring cooking classes and educational lectures.
The space will take a food-first approach, serving ANEU Kitchens favorites alongside products sourced from trusted local farmers, butchers, and poultry and egg producers.
“You can come in and buy a piece of chicken with one of our side dishes and cook your own chicken, or you can buy the chicken cooked and know it’s the same chicken,” she said.
The Wayne location will also offer more than food, with a coffee program, wine bar and wellness-focused amenities.
“I’ve gone from just food, and now I’m into longevity. The pillars of longevity [nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management and social connection] show how your body is a machine. If you don’t fuel the machine, it breaks. Everybody gets it that we are healthy food. We’ve been popular in our area for that forever. Now, I need to get them to understand the overall, overarching concept,” Coyle said
The programming will mirror Miraval Resorts & Spas, a luxury wellness resort brand focused on holistic well-being through spa treatments, fitness, mindfulness and healthy dining. Coyle visits the resort every year.
The wellness center will offer daily classes and lectures on topics including peptides, amino acids, nutrition, herbs and longevity, along with sound baths, meditation, breathwork, yin yoga, vision board workshops, gardening and cooking classes for children and adults.
“It’s not like an office where you’re going to go in and get a peptide, but you’re going to learn about peptides. And it’s not a place where you’re going to go in and see the doctor, but you’re going to learn from the doctor,” she said.
The space can accommodate up to 175 guests, giving Coyle room to host corporate retreats, celebrations and gatherings.
In the future, Coyle hopes to expand ANEU Kitchens by bringing the new wellness concept to major cities across the country.
“I want to come to other big metropolises and to the West Coast with this wellness concept because most people don’t know about these places where you can go and learn. The most exciting thing for me is, really, just get out there and be trusted.”
Coyle is targeting a November opening for the new Wayne location. Visit the ANEU Kitchens website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
