Rocco Cima, owner of FUEL, an eat in and takeout restaurant on East Passyunk, took a risk with his menu that most restaurant owners would scoff at: all his dishes are less than 500 calories. Normally, this means taste-suicide for a meal, and appeals only to women eating to squeeze into that intentionally-bought-one-size-too-small dress by Friday. But somehow, FUEL achieves the impossible, creating dishes that are both healthy and great-tasting.

Cima explains that he is very intentional about creating healthy options for his hungry customers. “I am a very big advocate of eating fresh and healthy foods and I believe that food that is great for you can also taste great.” And Cima is not shy about why he decided to bring his West Coast restaurant here to Philadelphia. “Philly is perceived to be one of the fattest cities, and it’s my hometown, so I want to help change that perception by giving people a better choice.”

Cima has perfected his recipes over his long career in food service, beginning in his early adolescence. “I started when I was 13 as a busboy and eventually got more involved, and went to culinary college. It’s been in my blood for about 13 years now.” Since starting his own restaurant, Cima has been able to enjoy his favorite part of his job, “Making people smile and seeing them excited that healthy food can taste so good.” Patrons and critics alike have praised FUEL for its paninis, wraps, and salads, and its fun juice and coffee bars.

A second FUEL restaurant will be opening soon in Center City Philly at 1225 Walnut Street. So what are the key ingredients Cima has learned for starting a restaurant? “Always plan for setbacks. Plan to work long, long hours and everyday, especially in the beginning. And research, research, research! With the Internet there are so many tools, and you need to take advantage of them to be able to hit the ground running!”

So how did Cima know that it was time to start the whole process again and open a second Philly location? “Everyone (and I mean everyone!) has been saying I need to open a restaurant near them. People have come from near and far to try FUEL and I believe I owe it to them to open one near them.” Cima’s got a secret weapon to help him with the work ahead of him, “I’m just waiting for the cloning machine I ordered.”