MCI Student Offers Healthier Food Options With His New Venture—Verde

Last fall, Christian Barruos-Brens was baffled during chef Patrick McCurry’s culinary sustainability and practices class at Miami Culinary Institute. 

After learning that chain restaurants—Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Starbucks—cook with unhealthy ingredients, such as soybean oil and high fructose corn syrup, he wanted to transform people’s diets.

“Why [is it that] just us culinary students know what we’re putting into our bodies and what we cook? I want to share that with the world and make [them] heal with it,” Barruos-Brens said.

One year later, he is paving a way toward that healing by expanding healthy food options for students. 

Last month, the 20-year-old won The Idea Center’s pitch competition with Verde, a food cart that makes healthy food bowls with a Latin twist. He was awarded a $7,000 prize.

The competition, which is the culmination of a 12-week course offered by The Idea Center,  required participants to present a three-minute business pitch including their logo, name, purpose and profit plan. 

With the contest prize, Barruos-Brens will purchase a $5,000 Cambro food cart, which features a 12-inch transparent sneeze guard, an insulated open counter, three storage compartments and two removable shelves.

“I’m super excited to share this healthy, impactful venture [with] the world, because I believe people need it,” Barruos-Brens said. “People need to eat healthier, cleaner.” 

Verde consists of three components—proteins, which include chicken, salmon and tofu; sides, such as roasted cauliflower and salads; and sauces, like avocado cilantro lime sauce. 

All protein is organic, wild-caught or grass-fed, said Barruos-Brens, who is investing $5,000 of his own money into the business. Food will be cooked with extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, and the herbs, spices and seasoning will also be organic.

Verde’s Latin twist comes from Barruos-Brens’ sofrito, a Hispanic flavoring base that the protein will be cooked in. It consists of oregano, cilantro and garlic. 

Bowls will sell for approximately $20. 

“I’m finally getting through to some students,” McCurry said. “We have to be responsible, not only for the current generation, but future generations. I’m teaching [Christian], and I expect him—when he has the opportunity—to teach someone else.” 

Verde’s logo, which features a black salad bowl with hints of green and pink, pays homage to Barruos-Brens’ mother, Celeste, who is a thyroid and breast cancer survivor.

“I’m alive because I started learning how to heal my body,” Celeste said. “[Having] two cancers at the same time and four surgeries in three months—it was a lot—and Christian was learning with me [about] the right way to eat when someone has cancer…Now Christian brings that to his plate to help others.” 

Barruos-Brens, who also owns a catering company, Chef Christian LLC, hopes to launch Verde during October—breast cancer awareness month—at Wolfson Campus, and eventually expand beyond Miami Dade College.

He’s slated to graduate from the MCI with an associate’s degree in culinary arts in the spring and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hospitality at MDC. 

But his ultimate goal is captured in Verde’s slogan: “Healing with every bite.”

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