Editorial

Fresh Food and Fun Define This Franchise

Isn’t it about time consumers had a fresh alternative to Fast Food for today’s healthy lifestyle? That’s what Founder and President Jeff Levine thought when he created a Franchise business called Salad Creations. Headquartered in Margate, Florida, Salad Creations has been Franchising for several years and has 14 units open, 23 area developers, 60 total units sold, 9 under construction and many more in the beginning stages. They expect to have a total of 50 stores open by the end of 2007.

This is a concept that seems to have fans everywhere. Stores have been or will shortly be opened in areas all across the country, from Riverside, California to San Francisco; from Manhattan to Puerto Rico; and from Phoenix, Arizona to Charlotte, North Carolina. Other locations include Hawaii, Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, and Columbus, Ohio. There are numerous stores in Florida, several stores open in Virginia and the 14th store opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota in February. The concept is popular outside the U.S. as well. Levine says they get international inquiries daily and have locations open in Mexico and Trinidad and will be opening Salad Creations stores in Kuwait, Dubai and Brazil.

The stores are comparatively inexpensive to start up because of the small space needed, claims Levine. Also, because there is no cooking involved, the stores need no expensive equipment like vent hoods or grease traps. Startup costs average from $122,000 to $298,000 and Area Developers help franchisees find sites by connecting them with a broker network. Locations range from downtown business districts to suburban strip malls to airports.

What makes Salad Creations popular with customers also makes it a wonderful opportunity. It’s a fun business, easy to run, and offers a fresh alternative to the usual, often greasy, quick lunch options – just what people have been looking for!

“The ingredients we use are super fresh,” says Levine, “and we keep our three varieties of lettuce in a crisper. The food is delivered by a national supplier and the franchisee will learn what to order so that waste is very minimal. We’ve worked long and hard to make this business foolproof.”

“Our customers,” says Levine, “are highly educated people who care about what they are eating and are willing to spend more for fresh food. They love the flavor and freshness of our food and quickly become repeat customers. Portions are large and the comment customers always make is that they feel they get their money’s worth.”

The Salad Creations menu has many featured salads but also offers customers the option of creating their own salad by choosing the ingredients (from around 60 toppings) including savory homemade dressings that Levine says were specifically created for Salad Creations. Other menu items include wraps, soups and smoothies.

Besides offering great food, Levine credits the company’s success to high-level customer service. The salads are put together by chefs who create an entertaining atmosphere while creating a great meal. “Salad Creations was named QSR Magazine’s Best Overall Program in HR in the 2006 edition,” says Levine. “We use behavioral psychology to find the best candidates – from our Area Developers to our chefs. Our applicants go through a test using building blocks of different colors to assemble specific designs while they answer questions. It has been a wonderful tool for assessing problem-solving skills and helping determine future performance. This has resulted in better employees and greatly reduced turnover.”

“Our concept involves a process,” adds Levine, “and the salad chef’s job is to be the guests’ guide and help them walk through the process of selecting the items they want. The chefs are high-energy, outgoing people who enjoy their jobs. They entertain while creating the salads so that, although they only ‘touch’ the customer for a short time, the experience is memorable.”

Another plus for customers is that they can make their Salad Creations’ meal just what they want by selecting low-fat or low-carb options as they desire. There are also many protein options for the customer who desires a hearty salad. “We draw people of all ages, says Levine, “and we find our customer base is equally divided between men and women. This is a concept that appeals to everyone who likes great food.”

“About 82% o the salads we sell are of the create-your-own variety. After all, how can your salad not be perfect if you’ve selected every item? Toppings offered on the create-your-own salads may vary from location to location depending on local taste,” says Levine. “Avocado is very big in California and we’ve had to add salsas and chipotle dressings in Mexico. We rely on our Area Developers to let us know how to customize each location.”

New franchisees go through an intensive training program in Ft. Lauderdale called Salad 101 to learn all aspects of the Restaurant operations including how to test, select and train the salad chefs. Salad Creations offers extensive marketing help including a grand opening package and a local marketing plan. Through direct mail programs, new customers are enticed to try Salad Creations with frequent diner cards and free salad cards.

“At Salad Creations, we’ve worked long and hard to make this opportunity an easy and profitable experience for franchisees,” says Levine. “Our staff has years and years of Food franchise experience and we’re ready to work with people interested in joining a successful team. The bottom line is that we are providing a product that people want.”

“Our current franchisees are intelligent, aggressive and experienced,” adds Levine. “In fact, a number of our franchisees have come from other food franchises. We’re looking for very high-energy people, preferably with prior restaurant or franchise experience who understand what the consumer today really wants.”