Saladworks appoints Paul Steck Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Saladworks, the nation’s leading healthy alternative to Fast Food and the originator of the fresh tossed to order salad concept, has appointed Paul Steck to Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. Steck, a 22-year veteran in the Franchise business, has been a part of Saladworks management team since being hired as Director of franchise Operations in 2002. In his new position, he will oversee all operations, including training, service, facilities, distribution, personnel, sales and marketing. Steck will also play an integral part in the further development the Saladworks brand.

“Paul is an incredibly accomplished professional who has brought keen insights into franchise operations to Saladworks,” says John Scardapane founder of Saladworks. “I am confident that our combined efforts will only enhance our already successful concept.”

With more than 20 years of experience in the franchise business, Steck understands the day-to-day challenges that franchisees face on front lines of their franchises. Rising quickly through the company’s ranks, Steck has served Saladworks as Vice President of Operations, Director of Operations and Director of Franchise Operations in a little more than three years.

Fresh out of college, Steck started in the franchise business at just 21-years-old, when he cobbled together enough money to purchase an existing Burger King franchise in Cincinnati. At the time he was the youngest Burger King franchisee. Six years later, he built his second Burger King from the ground up. After three years of running two locations, he decided to sell them, and set his sights on Au Bon Pain. As District Manager, he opened six Franchises in just 13 months. Based on his success, Au Bon Pain relocated him to the Midwest and put him in charge of multiple locations throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.

He was later transferred to Philadelphia to manage 12 Au Bon Pain locations that the company had bought back from a franchisee. Steck immediately fell in love with the city and worked with Au Bon Pain to open several more stores throughout the greater Philadelphia area. After meeting repeatedly with Saladworks’ senior management, Steck was offered and quickly accepted a position with the company.

“Saladworks is concept that clicks perfectly with the times we live in,” Steck says. “People today are more health and image conscious than they ever were before, and are forgoing fatty fast foods in their pursuit of eating right and living healthier lifestyles.”

Steck, who was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a devoted father of three and currently resides in Havertown, Pennsylvania. In his spare time he enjoys skiing, hunting and cooking at home.

Since its inception, Saladworks has emerged as a leader in the quick-casual food arena, by offering a tasty, yet healthy alternative to the pre-fab, vacuum packed and flavor deprived food found at most fast food chains. By giving customers the freshest and finest ingredients, which are expertly prepared in front of them by an always-accommodating staff, Saladworks has developed a proven successful concept.

The company, which has grown at an average rate of 40 percent per year for the past three years, has experienced its largest expansion to date by opening more than 18 new locations in 2005. Saladworks, a 20-year-old pioneer concept in the rapidly growing salad category, is taking a ‘fresh’ approach to Franchising that will put more than 250 locations on the map by 2010.