Crowds clamor to get a sneak peek of Mishawaka's newest eatery

Hundreds of people across Michiana got a chance to preview a new restaurant chain to the area that is officially opening for business Thursday.

CoreLife Eatery is a chain that opened in Syracuse, New York, back in 2015 and is expanding quickly. The Mishawaka location on Grape Road is the 30th location to open nationwide.

Wednesday night, 60 new employees got a chance to practice their skills, feeding friends and family, and doing so with healthy food.

"CoreLife is based on all clean, whole food, GMO free," said Greg Collins, the vice president of CoreLife Eatery of Michigan. "We're gluten-free. We make everything from scratch every day."

The restaurant features grass-fed steak and antibiotic-free chicken with vegan options

"What we want people to know mostly is it's great-tasting food," Collins said. "A lot of people know us because we're healthy food, but that shouldn't scare away anybody, because you could come here and get a great-tasting meal then walk away knowing it was also good for you."

Customers can create their own salads or bowls, or pick a premade meal on the menu.

Collins said opening a location in Mishawaka just made sense for the fast-growing brand.

"Our office is local in Stevensville, and we've done business here for a long time, so we thought the South Bend-Mishawaka area would be perfect for that," he said.

CoreLife Eatery opens Thursday at 11 a.m. and is at the corner of Indian Ridge Boulevard and Grape Road in Mishawaka.

The business also has locations in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.