Name of business: Don’t Panic It’s Organic
Type of business: Organic restaurant
Location: 6724 E. Whitmore Ave., Hughson
Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Contact information: 209-883-7227
Specialty: Juices and smoothies
History of business:
A new, family-run eatery in Hughson is providing healthy options for the community thanks to a menu based around flavorful, organic food.
Don’t Panic It’s Organic opened in late October, bringing with it a variety of foods free of harsh chemicals, antibiotics and preservatives. The restaurant is the effort of Hughson resident Katherine Bertolotti, who adopted an all-organic lifestyle to help curb her son’s allergies. When the benefits of her family’s new diet were too good to ignore, Bertolotti decided to share some of her recipes with the community and the restaurant was born.
The business is a family affair, with Bertolotti running the restaurant alongside her brother, David Mingham. Their sister Sarah Mingham also works behind the counter, as does the trio’s mother Lisa.
“It’s been a great experience so far…we’ve been welcomed here,” David said.
While some may hear the word organic and think “bland,” Don’t Panic It’s Organic’s menu leaves little to be desired by the taste buds. Their juices and smoothies come in a variety of flavors that include ingredients like apples, bananas and even peanut butter, and bagel breakfast sandwiches offer something heartier for those looking to fill up. Organic turkey sandwiches are also on the menu, and fresh greens are cut and served in-store.
Much of the restaurant’s menu is also locally-sourced, coming from farms not only in Hughson but surrounding towns as well.
David said that in the restaurant’s few short weeks of being open in Hughson, Don’t Panic It’s Organic has already earned loyal customers, like the local principal who comes in daily for lunch and the two moms who grab an acai bowl every morning.
While the family is enjoying the eatery’s current success, they are also already dreaming of the future and eventually hope to open an additional restaurant in either Turlock or Modesto, spreading the good news of organic food far and wide.
“I hope us being here will help people open more places like this,” David said. “I also hope it will help people see and notice what’s in their food.”
