Kendalls Om Kitchen, Chappaqua
It took a four-year stint in India for Chappaqua businesswoman Kendall Callahan to realize the importance of good nutrition, especially when it concerns food that feeds the body and rekindles the spirit.
Callahan took all she learned and put it to use in a unique interactive health bar called Kendall’s Om Kitchen, located in The Village Yard at 140 King. St. The “Om” refers to the mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of a yoga session.
The store, which opened June 1, is equipped with powder dispensers containing an array of healthy items such as purple corn extract, matcha tea powder, papaya, lemon peel, cama cama, yumberry and more. Customers can use these items to create healthy snacks based on some of Callahan’s tried and trusted recipes. Outside the store is a private garden where Callahan hosts small yoga or meditation classes.
Callahan’s fascination with food isn’t coincidental. Growing up, she loved to cook. As a high school student living in France, she observed the more nutritious habits of the natives and how those differed from the average American.
In college, Callahan yearned for a career as a diplomat, but instead she found work in the food industry. Before leaving for India, she worked for Fresh Direct, an online grocer that serves the New York metro area, serving as director of Urban Depot, which brings quality retail food to the inner city.
When her husband was assigned to Bangalore, Callahan immersed herself in the Indian culture, learning the benefit of mantras, sacred words or syllables that help the mind concentrate. She uncovered a “spiritual nutrition” that she quickly discovered could also benefit the body.
Striving to make her body feel better through an age-old Eastern philosophy called chakras, considered in Indian culture to be the energy centers of the body, is what drove Callahan to seek out alternative nutrition.
“The study of chakras enabled me to get out of the corporate mold I had been in and get into a more creative mold,” said Callahan, the mother of a college-age daughter.
Callahan is all about making her customers feel comfortable in what she considers to be their spiritual journey. Kendall’s Om Kitchen offers individual, family and corporate membership plans. Before committing to a plan, Callahan encourages customers to experiment with the ingredients. That allows them to make a host of tasty treats filled with what Callahan calls “super foods.” Even local kids are regular visitors, rolling up their sleeves and ordering the popular Mantra Munchies or Dharma Doodles, an organic version of the popular Rice Krispie treat. Then there’s the newly created recipe for Cosmic Chittas, a gluten-free cookie made from cacoa and coconut butter.
Organic drinks are also available, including the Greeley Gust-O. Its ingredients include sea buckthorn, acai, purple corn and tender coconut water, which represent Greeley High School’s indigo and orange colors.
Callahan suggests customers try the chakra navigator app, which gives them access to the store website to determine what color chakra best suits them. Once their chakras have been uncovered, customers can consult with Callahan, who then recommends specific color-coded super foods for each profile.
“The idea is to empower people and to let them know that they can heal themselves,” said Callahan, who works with customers who are being treated for allergies, liver problems and cancer.
Kendall’s Om Kitchen also serves as a drop-in cooking school. Structured skill-building classes are customized for any age and are meant to be fun and inspiring. All of the snacks prepared are peak-harvested products and preserved intact.
Each class is led by an experienced creativity coach who provides guidance, support and maximum fun, said Callahan, a graduate of the Iris International School of Colour Therapy in London.
Callahan said many of her customers reap the benefits from this new way of eating, which also boosts immunity.
“People come back to me saying they really like it and they feel a difference as a result of working with color to remove blockages and heal themselves,” she said.
Readers can bring this article to receive a complimentary daily membership to be used this week through Sept. 30. To learn more, call 914-238-8800 or visit www.kendallsomkitchen.com.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
