Eatery offers low-fat fast food

The first EVOS restaurant in North Carolina will open in Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill on July 11.

EVOS, by SKS Healthy Foods, offers a full menu of burgers, fries, and shakes that have 50 to 70 percent less fat and calories than typical fast food fare. The restaurant uses specialty ovens rather than grills or fryers. EVOS uses naturally raised, free-range beef and organic ingredients.

“We think EVOS will be a perfect fit for Chapel Hill,” said Rakesh Sethi, owner of the new Chapel Hill franchise. “People will finally be able to enjoy a burger, fries and shake without all the aftereffects and guilt.”

EVOS’ American Champion burger contains 12 grams of fat, 420 calories and zero cholesterol. A regular serving of EVOS fries contains 8 grams of fat and 230 calories, and the restaurant’s organic vanilla milkshake has 2.5 grams of fat and 180 calories.

Also on the menu are a variety of other healthy options, including wraps and salads.

SKS Healthy Foods is a master developer of EVOS franchises and has agreed to build a minimum of 21 EVOS locations in North Carolina and metro Atlanta in the next five years.

The Chapel Hill restaurant is at 1800 E. Franklin St., Suite 26 in the Eastgate Shopping Center.

Mobile pet grooming service opens here

Aussie Pet Mobile, the nation’s largest mobile pet grooming, is now serving Durham and Orange counties and the towns within them.

Local husband and wife team Carolyn and Bruce Whitman have opened the local branch.

The business uses a specially equipped van to provide mobile pet grooming.

Aussie Pet Mobile offers a 15-step spa treatment that includes a professional customized shampoo, massage, blow dry, brushing, nail clipping and other services. Extra services are also available, such as aloe treatments for dry skin, nail grinding, flea and tick control and excess hair removal.

Pricing for all of Aussie Pet Mobile’s services depends on the breed, size, coat condition and scope of services.

Visitors Bureau wins marketing awards

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau received six Destination Marketing Achievement Awards at the ninth annual Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina’s Annual Meeting & Awards Banquet held June 2 at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel.

The Visitors Bureau was honored with one platinum, four gold and one of the innovation destination marketing awards. A panel of tourism leaders from New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida judged the competition.

The Visitors Bureau’s 2008 Official Visitors Guide won a Platinum award for Best Visitor’s Guide. The 2006-07 Tourism Tribune Annual Report received a Gold Award for Best Local Constituents Communications and the Tourism News Briefs Enewsletter was honored with a Gold Award in the Best Local Constituents Communications: Newsletters category.

The Bureau’s Leisure travel ad, “Everything To Do List,” won Gold in the category of Best Print Advertising: Leisure, and the sales department’s 60,000 Fans meeting planners promotion won a Gold Destination Marketing Initiatives award.

Finally, the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau received one of the three Innovation Awards given in the Best Local Stakeholder Relations category for the 1,000 Postcards Promotion, which took place last December.

“Promoting Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough through compelling promotions is our priority,” said Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Visitors Bureau. “We are thrilled that a jury of our peers acknowledged these efforts with these six important awards.”

The Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina, formally the North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, received 150 award entries from convention and visitor bureaus from across North Carolina. The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau competed in the medium sized bureau category.

New store picks up where Baum leaves off

A new jewelery store is open in the Elliott Road space formerly occupied by Baum Diamonds.

BB Jewelry Studio, owned by Bill Bailey, has opened in Galleria Shopping Center. Bailey worked as jeweler for Baum Diamonds for more than 17 years, and after Walter and Clare Baum retired and closed their longtime Chapel Hill business in May, Bailey opened his in the same location.

Bailey began doing repairs, restorations and custom work for Baum Diamonds in 1990 after completing studies at East Carolina University.

Holistic health care center now open

Stevens Holistic Health Center opened last weekend at 1322 Fordham Boulevard in Chapel Hill.

The center is a wellness spa that offers a range of holistic health care, massage and skin care. Among the services Stevens provides are chiropractic, acuptuncture, massage, energy kinesiology balance, facial and skin treatments and weight loss programs.