SALADWORKS SEES 'HEALTHY' GROWTH WITH 'FRESH' APPROACH TO FRANCHISING

With its core menu item a proven cornerstone of healthy eating, 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 350 locations on the map by 2010.

In a climate where fad diets are fading and more consumers are embracing the belief that balance is best, the broad appeal of Saladworks menu make the concept attractive to consumers and investors alike. With more than 60 locations in the Eastern United States and 27 more scheduled to open in 2005, the chain has launched a strategic growth plan that focuses on building a strong regional presence before launching a large-scale national expansion. 

Saladworks’ menu includes more than 12 salads, made to order in front of the customer and complemented by a selection of 12 dressings prepared on-site each day. While also offering a variety of fresh sandwiches and pasta dishes, salad remains at the core of the chain’s business model, accounting for more than 70 percent of sales at most locations.

“Saladworks has taken a dish once reserved exclusively for appetizer menus and turned it into one of the hottest tickets in franchising,” said Chairman/CEO John Scardapane. “We offer healthier and lighter menu items, without sacrificing flavor or convenience.  That’s why consumers love our food, and that’s why entrepreneurs love our Franchise opportunity.”

Making Believers out of Everyone
John Scardapane developed the Saladworks concept in 1986, when he bought out a failing pasta Restaurant in a mall food court in Cherry Hill , New Jersey . A trained gourmet chef with extensive food industry experience, Scardapane took his knowledge of the rising popularity of salads and the appeal of fresh food, to create the quick-casual restaurant concept.  

Initially, mall management requested that Scardapane add sandwiches to his menu, insisting that his restaurant couldn’t generate enough revenue to survive on salads alone.  However, proving all skeptics wrong, Saladworks kept salad as its core menu item and quickly became the top-grossing concept in the Cherry Hill mall food court.

Building on the success of his first location, Scardapane eventually opened 12 more units in mall food courts throughout the Eastern United States – each doing a healthy business. Scardapane saw potential for further growth via franchising.

Strong Support from Top is the `Dressing on the Salad’
After selling his first franchise to a close friend 15-years-ago, Scardapane quickly doubled the size of the Saladworks chain, using word-of-mouth as his only marketing tool. As the chain neared 30 units, Scardapane recognized the company needed a strong infrastructure to support future growth.

He recruited veterans from various segments of the franchise industry, including former West Coast Entertainment executive Sandee Devine and Paul Steck, who had served as a Regional Manager for Au Bon Pain and a former Multi-unit franchise owner for Burger King. Under the direction of Saladworks’ seasoned executive team, the chain has again doubled in size over the last four years, opening another 27 restaurants in mall food courts, strip centers and transportation centers throughout the United States .

“The Saladworks menu is designed and field tested to appeal to consumers in every segment of the market,” Scardapane said. “From an operational standpoint, the concept is highly adaptive and can be lucrative in virtually any area,” he said, noting that Saladworks has successful locations ranging from O’Hare International Airport, office buildings in Downtown Philadelphia to many suburban strip malls.

Current Saladworks franchise owners include loyal customers who have left behind careers as accountants, a fitness instructor, a Pepsi –Cola truck driver and restaurant suppliers to join the growing chain. In fact, a significant share of franchisees that have opened additional Saladworks locations, are citing the innovative concept and strong support they receive from Saladworks corporate as the backbone of their success.

Franchisees receive site-selection, a brand name, protected territory, a complete design and construction assistance package, extensive training on all business systems, safety training and pre-opening inventory order assistance, as well as on-site computer training and grand opening support.  Ongoing support includes professionally designed brand marketing campaigns, public relations, annual conventions, advanced training seminars, a designated corporate representative to help them sustain and monitor growth, quarterly newsletter, a private Intranet on the website, a Franchise Advisory Council (FAC), ongoing research and development as well as menu development. The franchise fee is $35,000 for the first unit and $31,500 for additional locations.  Multi-unit franchise operators should have prior food industry experience.

About Saladworks
Saladworks, the nation’s first fresh-tossed salad franchise concept, operates more than 60 franchise-operated restaurants in seven states throughout the Eastern United States . The chain currently has 20 units under development—projecting a 50 percent growth rate over the last year. Using its innovative step-by-step regional expansion method plans to open more than 350 locations in the next five years. Saladworks locations offer a healthy menu of flavorful salads with signature dressings, as well as complimentary menu items.