Standing in a buzzing taqueria line in San Francisco, Erik Oberholtzer had a revelation: could chef-driven cuisine be served as quickly and affordably as street food? The idea became Tender Greens, a concept built to deliver “good food, really healthy fresh food, to a lot of people at a price point they could all absorb.” By recruiting trusted fine-dining colleagues to run each new location, Erik turned chefs into co-owners, preserving quality while scaling the brand.
Meet Erik Oberholtzer
Erik Oberholtzer is a classically trained chef turned social-impact entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of the chef-driven fast-casual chain Tender Greens. He began his culinary journey at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, honing the hospitality mindset that still shapes his work today. At Tender Greens he embedded purpose into the brand by creating the Sustainable Life Project, a paid culinary apprenticeship that empowers emancipated foster youth with real kitchen skills and career paths. Today, Erik channels that same blend of craft and conscience as a managing partner at Cohere, advising purpose-driven food brands on strategic growth, sustainability, and social impact.
Building Chef-Entrepreneurs
Expansion hinged on a simple promise: give talented cooks the tools, and equity, to lead. “We promised to develop these chefs into entrepreneurs and gave them enough creative freedom to stay excited,” he recalls, a model that kept menus consistent and culture strong as the chain grew.
The Sustainable Life Project: Impact Baked Into the P&L
Erik’s passion for social impact was realized with the Sustainable Life Project (SLP), a paid culinary apprenticeship for emancipated foster youth. Rather than rely on donations, SLP is woven straight into Tender Greens’ operating budget “a line item in the budget… we just integrate it into the business model.”
His philosophy is practical and empowering: “Everybody has to eat… Give a person a fish and they eat for a day; teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.” The result? Hundreds of young people have graduated, some rising to manage Tender Greens restaurants.
Quick Takeaways for Foodservice Leaders
- Democratize quality. Fine-dining techniques plus an efficient service line can capture guests across price points.
- Invest in talent. Equitable ownership and creative freedom keep culinary standards high during expansion.
- Bake impact into the business. A self-funded social program aligns purpose with profit and engages the entire team.
Listen to the full conversation on the Cambro Eats podcast to hear Erik’s thoughts on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and why eliminating waste is good for both margins and the planet.
Author: Felix Bazgan is the Director of Digital Marketing at Cambro.
