Leading Fast-Casual Salad Brand Looks to Develop More Franchise Restaurants in State.
CINCINNATI — Saladworks, the nation’s leading fast-casual create-your-own salad destination, is pushing its next wave of growth and expansion in Ohio and Kentucky by opening several new locations. The fast-casual entrée salad franchise is opening four more local Kroger stores in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area this summer and plans to ramp up franchise growth plans in the state. Company leaders say the latest growth drive within the state has been strategically designed to meet the demand for healthy, customizable fast-casual meals.
The four new Kroger Saladworks stores opening during the summer months include:
- 11390 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH (now open)
- 7580 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH (now open)
- 3636 Springdale Road, Cincinnati, OH (now open)
- 130 Pavilion Parkway, Newport, KY (coming soon)
These new Ohio restaurants will add on to the two existing Saladworks locations in Columbus and another Kroger store in Cincinnati. WOWorks’ plan to grow Saladworks locations in Ohio is directly tied with the opportunity present within the state’s growing millennial and Gen Z guests’ spending power and lifestyle needs. These target demographics and their desire to buy nutritious customizable meals which will accommodate a variety of health, wellness and dietary needs, is a big factor that is driving the brand’s growth in Ohio.
Saladworks’ focus on menu items which are fresh and do not require cooking, grills, hoods, and skilled kitchen staff, proves to be a big win with franchisees. Couple this with Ohio’s inventory of affordable real estate, Saladworks expects to see strong and accelerated growth in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Akron.
“We are excited to grow our Saladworks brand in Ohio in these high-traffic stores and believe it will lay the foundation for future franchise growth of Saladworks throughout the state,” said Eric Lavinder, Chief Development Officer for WOWorks, parent company of Saladworks. “We are looking to recruit potential franchisees who want to join our health-focus family of brands with exciting development opportunities in an untapped state.”
The move to open restaurants within grocery chains and other non-traditional venues began in early 2019, when Saladworks opened its first in-store location in Philadelphia. Much like their stand-alone locations across the country, these non-traditional restaurant locations focus on customization through their array of over 60 fresh, flavorful and nutritious ingredients.
The in-store restaurants provide guests a variety of healthy menu items to grab while shopping, including customizable salads, wraps, grain bowls, soups and more. To date, Saladworks has restaurants in 10 grocery stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and New York, with additional locations projected to open in 2021 and 2022.
These new locations will also participate in Saladworks’ Local Heroes program. Police officers, firefighters, first responders, teachers, doctors and other workers who keep communities safe can sign up for Saladworks Rewards and receive 20 bonus points on every purchase along with special offers on relevant appreciation days and holidays.
The brand is actively seeking qualified franchise partners, preferably individuals with business experience and/or franchise experience, and a passion for serving guests. Before stores open, the training program for franchisees is designed to teach them the fundamentals for efficient skills to run a successful restaurant and is completed locally. The total initial investment to open a Saladworks restaurant is $199,726 – 549,295.
ABOUT SALADWORKS:
Founded in 1986, Saladworks is the nation’s leading fast-casual create-your-own salad destination, with over 130 locations across 18 states and two countries. Part of the WOWorks family of brands, which also includes Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Frutta Bowls and The Simple Greek, Saladworks encourages guests to be original, giving them the option to choose from salads, warm grain bowls or wraps, along with an endless array of fresh vegetables, fruits, proteins and delicious dressings. Ranked #7 on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers in 2021, Saladworks has been delivering the most original and incredible salad experience to guests for more than 30 years. For more information, visit www.saladworks.com.
About WOWorks
WOWorks was formed in 2020 with a mission to help guests pursue their passions and live their best lives by serving healthy, nutritious and flavorful fuel along with first-rate hospitality. Fully owned by Centre Lane Partners, LLC, WOWorks’ portfolio consists of: Saladworks, the nation’s leading fast-casual salad brand; Frutta Bowls, a unique restaurant franchise serving a variety of superfood bowls, fresh fruit smoothies, oatmeal bowls and more; Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a popular Mediterranean restaurant concept; and most recently, The Simple Greek, which offers a fresh and healthy take on ancient Greek recipes in a fast-casual setting. WOWorks seeks to drive explosive growth across all of its brands through a variety of channels, both traditional and non-traditional, including ghost kitchens, food trucks, grocery retail and more.
SOURCE Saladworks