Steamboat Springs — Downtown Steamboat Springs has a new option for healthy food and fresh juices.

Fawn Racoma’s ROOTZ on Lincoln Avenue first welcomed customers Wednesday, but its grand opening celebration is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Racoma said that her new restaurant is about balancing the body and will incorporate her background as a holistic health practitioner and experience as an executive chef.

She received her license as a holistic health practitioner in San Diego and, after moving to Steamboat, was the head chef at Sweetwater Grill for almost four years.

Before even setting foot in Steamboat, Racoma said, she had eyed the spot at 737 Lincoln Ave. As tenants came and went, she watched and wondered what she could do with it.

The interior of ROOTZ plays on the quirky nature of the building, full of different textures and painted an array of bright colors.

Racoma said that all the furniture in the restaurant was purchased secondhand, and the dishes came from thrift stores.

The reuse, reduce, recycle mentality is important to the restaurant, she said.

A “We Compost” sign hangs behind the counter, bins in the front are sorted to keep as many items as possible from becoming waste and the entire kitchen is electric without gas or an exhaust hood.

In addition to a number of options for fresh juice, the menu features bowls built around either grains or leafy greens, soups and paninis.

“It’s hard to eat vegetarian” in Steamboat, Racoma said. ROOTZ’s menu offers a number of vegetarian choices and some vegan items but also has the option to add some animal protein.

Everything on the menu is as raw, local and fresh as possible, she said.

If someone doesn’t find something on the menu that exactly suits them, they can create their own option.

“I want people to have the freedom to create what their body needs,” Racoma said.

Items in the restaurant are labeled with explanations of what they are and tags for tables offer more information about ingredients listed on the menu.

Racoma said she wants to make people pay attention to what works for them.

From talking with other chefs and residents in Steamboat, Racoma said, she came to the conclusion that there was a need for a restaurant that brought health food to the general public with a convenient location and hours. ROOTZ will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week.

When she was a personal chef, Racoma said, her goal was to prepare vegetables in a way that kids would enjoy eating them, and with ROOTZ, she wants to make delicious food with healthy ingredients that people might otherwise disregard.

Athletes who likely already manage their diets well could benefit from the convenience of all the produce ROOTZ has on hand and not even have to clean a juicer, Racoma said.

The menu is likely to change with what’s in season or available, she said, but the concept will stay the same.

Handmade jewelry for sale hangs from the walls, and wheatgrass is decor as much as it is a beverage.

“It feels cozy,” Racoma said about the space she’s created. “It feels like you’re walking into my house.”

To reach Michael Schrantz, call 970-871-4206, email mschrantz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @MLSchrantz