Josephine’s becomes 1st C.L.E.A.N. certified restaurant in world

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

May 4, 2026

HOWARD – Since opening in 2004, Josephine’s Pizza and Pastaria – located at 2560 Glendale Ave. in the Village of Howard – Owner Frank Marshall said it has built its reputation on quality, and now it’s taking that commitment even further.

As of January 2026, Marshall said the restaurant became the first in the world to earn C.L.E.A.N. certification – per cleanfoodcertified.org – reinforcing its belief that health truly is wealth.

C.L.E.A.N. – which stands for Conscious, Live, Ethical, Active and Nourishing – Marshall said, comes with strict standards, requiring products and ingredients to be 100% safe, organic, non-GMO and formulated for optimal bioavailability through carefully selected combinations.

Marshall said for him, it goes beyond clean eating or a “health is wealth” mindset – it’s about doing right by his customers.

He said his wife, Vickie, pursued the certification as part of her life’s mission to help others, and together they see it as a meaningful, if indirect, way to make a difference.

Once he explored the C.L.E.A.N. program, Marshall said he recognized the potential impact not only on their business, but on how they’re viewed within the community.

“I was already doing it, so why not promote it?” he said. “The cost of the avocado oil compared to the soybean oil is quite a bit more, but at the same time, you spread that across all pizzas or garlic rolls we use it on, and it’s a few cents per item, so it wasn’t a big hit financially.”

Marshall said Josephine’s prices held steady for nearly six years, with only a modest increase in April – despite the restaurant quietly upgrading to healthier ingredients nearly a year earlier.

The reason he said he pursued the C.L.E.A.N. certification came down to one word: empathy. 

“We don’t want to feed anybody anything that we don’t want to eat,” he said.

Marshall said he hasn’t widely promoted the change yet, as the restaurant works to update all menu items – ensuring that when they do, it’s with a truly “clean” conscience.

“We’ve promoted it individually to customers, and we redid the menus two weeks ago to add the logo in,” he said. “Right now, it’s all getting people talking, asking questions – and that’s what matters.”

Marshall said some customers have already sparked conversations about C.L.E.A.N., which he sees as the goal for now – educating on a smaller scale until the entire menu meets certification standards.

He said the process goes beyond evaluating finished dishes.

Every ingredient – from dough and sauce to cheese, meats and vegetables – must be individually reviewed and scored as part of the certification.

Scratch-made, cleaner than ever 

Since opening more than two decades ago, Marshall said Josephine’s has focused on scratch-made food as much as possible.

The menu, he said, began with his wife’s original recipes, staying true to them early on, then evolving over time as chefs joined the team and contributed new ideas and dishes.

“Some of those original recipes are still on the menu even though the chefs have moved on,” he said. “Then all our sauces, some of our desserts, everything is as much from scratch as possible.”

A few years ago, Frank said they began looking more closely at genetically modified (GMO) soybean oil and started adjusting ingredients as a result.

Not long after, he said they were introduced to Bottoms Up, C.L.E.A.N. certification, and Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai’s Truth Freedom Health movement, which pushed them to take a more intentional approach to ingredient removal.

Marshall said Shiva encouraged him to join the program, noting that even one certified item could qualify them – but he felt the title only mattered if the work behind it matched it.

“We ended up doing five items, and changed one ingredient in the pizza crust, getting rid of the soybean oil and going to non-GMO avocado oil,” he said. “We sent all the ingredients to Dr. Shiva’s pharmaceutical company, which runs them through a scoring system, ANDI. You have to get above an 80 to be certified – we got an 81.”

Marshall said this all came before they also switched to organic flour, meaning their scores are expected to improve even further.

He said they’re now working toward becoming the first to bring C.L.E.A.N. certification into his new venture in the frozen pizza market.

Food for thought

The proof, Marshall said, is in the pudding, or in this case, the oil.

Since making the switch in 2025, he said the difference has been visible in the kitchen: easier cleanup, cleaner drains and fry baskets that no longer build up residue the way they used to.

“We used to have to use a degreaser to clean it at night,” he said. “Now, we can use a paper towel and give it to the dishwasher. Our fryer is also much easier to clean as a result of this. So is our grease trap.”

Marshall said in the past, they dealt with significant grease buildup and ongoing issues with pipes leading out to the sewer system, including cast-iron lines that were breaking down and crumbling.

A couple of years ago, he said the system was fully replaced with new piping, and during the most recent maintenance check, the technician remarked on how much cleaner and improved everything looked.

Marshall said that was the proof he needed.

“We don’t use or have soybean oil in anything anymore as a result of that,” he said. “Now, imagine this restaurant is your body. Imagine how much cleaner your body is as a result of making a change like this.”

Setting a standard 

Being the first restaurant to earn C.L.E.A.N. certification, Marshall said, came with both challenges and rewards.

For Josephine’s, he said it meant taking the C.L.E.A.N. certification exam and then waiting weeks while Shiva’s team adapted the process for restaurants, as the certification was originally designed for food manufacturers.

Marshall said he’s using Josephine’s C.L.E.A.N. certification platform to connect with others and encourage participation from those interested.

At the same time, he said he recognizes another viewpoint – with some businesses hesitant to spotlight organic or non-GMO practices, or pursue certification, out of concern it could unintentionally send the wrong message to customers.

Marshall said a local business owner told him they skipped certification, concerned that labels like “organic” and “non-GMO” could turn customers away.

However, he said he believes the movement will make people more aware of food ingredients.

“Dr. Shiva’s research shows 75% of people want clean food, and the conscious decision-makers are usually moms who want to give their kids and family the best food,” he said. “I know people want to feel good about their purchases. It’s like buying a new car – you’d do your research on that. So, that’s what we want to provide to our customers: confidence they’re eating the best food possible.”

Marshall said when he responded to a survey from Slice – the leading pizza delivery app for independent shops in the U.S. – he noted Josephine’s C.L.E.A.N. certification and plans to promote it in 2026.

After mentioning the certification in the survey, he said Slice reached out for a quote and photo, which were then distributed to about 100,000 restaurants.

Marshall said the exposure excites him, as it could encourage more restaurants and consumers to consider healthier choices when dining out.

Community, industry response

Marshall said the power of social media proved hard to ignore.

When Josephine’s announced its certification on Facebook, he said it drew customers from far distances – not just once, but twice, including a return trip on the way back from Door County.

The certification, he said, has also made it easier to accommodate customers with food allergies.

“People are really hyped for this change,” he said. “It’s making a big difference for those who traditionally haven’t been able to go out to eat, often or ever. This has translated to the industry for us as a whole, too.”

Marshall said that during a C.L.E.A.N. business forum in April, he was asked what the certification has done for Josephine’s.

In response, he said the restaurant has continued “cranking out food consistently,” even as many businesses across the Midwest – from Chicago to Upper Michigan – have slowed down.

“I haven’t really even promoted the certification too much yet – but I can see it’s already making a difference for us,” he said. “We’ve had comments online about how much people come in, and now they plan on coming in more often. People are genuinely excited about having better food.”

Despite some pushback in the industry, Marshall said he views the C.L.E.A.N. movement the same way organic food was once regarded – as a buzzword he believes will ultimately grow into something much larger.

He said the organic and non-GMO products aisles at local grocery stores serve as evidence – noting that if grocery stores can do it, restaurants can, too. 

“It’s going to be a slow build,” he says. “And with social media, this movement can be far more progressive.”

Head to josephinespizza.com or find Josephine’s Pizza and Pastaria on Facebook for more details.