Fast-casual create-your-own salad concept Saladworks opened 11 new restaurants in the first quarter of 2021, bringing the chain’s total number of locations to 217 across the U.S. and Canada.
The new units are in Nevada, Florida, Tennessee, and Ontario, Canada. The mix of traditional and nontraditional units includes a presence inside grocery stores, ghost kitchens and more.
In addition to new store openings, Saladworks signed a deal with Ghost Kitchen Brands to bring more than 90 store-within-a-store locations to Walmarts across the U.S. and Canada. Saladworks plans to continue to expand in this nontraditional vertical, seeing it as one path that will outlast the pandemic as guests continue to look for convenience and better-for-you options.
“The growth Saladworks has experienced over the course of only a few months in 2021 has been extraordinary, especially considering the challenges the restaurant industry has faced due to the pandemic,” says Kelly Roddy, CEO of Saladworks’ parent company WOWorks. “We will continue to expand the brand through traditional and nontraditional formats to help bring Saladworks' healthier options to more customers across the U.S. and Canada.”