Franchisee Voices: Jamie and Nicole Nichols of Saladworks

Jamie and Nicole Nichols, a husband and wife pair from Salisbury and College Park, are looking grow with the Saladworks franchise by bringing their extensive academic and professional experience to the company. The family-oriented duo hopes to carry the healthy atmosphere into their personal lives, encouraging their children to adopt onto the nutritious lifestyle. Jamie and Nicole admire the Saladworks environment and are eager to expand the brand into the Ocean City area. When a previous franchise agreement fell through – Saladworks became the better alternative leaving the two believing that everything happens for a reason.

1851 had a chance to catch up with Jamie and learn how Saladworks became a part of thei duo's future.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I graduated from Velmar High School in 1992 before going on to receive my Bachelors of Psychology at Salisbury University in 2000. Throughout college I worked in the restaurant business and I swore I would never return to the industry. In 2009, I continued my education to achieve a Masters in Human Resources from Wilmington University and entered a career as a Human Resources Director for a local psychological facility. We founded the company on the ability to perform services to anyone without a means to pay and quickly realized that wasn’t going to work. While the company grew – I worked towards attaining my master’s degree and began overseeing HR with 85 employees to 115 employees in four different countries before deciding that I wanted to do something different.

Why did you choose to become a franchisee with Saladworks? How did you learn about the brand?

The close proximity from my house to Saladworks was how I initially fell in love with it. The clean work environment and healthy food options were appealing since it encompasses the direction consumer preferences are headed. I was searching for longevity in a franchise – to take it over and make it better--when I found Saladworks. 

What were your perceptions of franchising before starting the process? 

I was in the process of franchising with Domino’s Pizza, and right before we completed the agreement a franchisee bought it out from under me. Looking back, I believe things happen for a reason. That deal fell through and Saladworks appeared to be a much better option for their healthy food. I found this atmosphere appealing, especially considering I want to be around nutritious food while I am raising four children.

What’s next for you and your business? Do you have any development/expansion plans with the brand?

Salisbury and Maryland are covered so I have been eyeing Ocean City, Maryland. We have first rights on opening a store there – we are just waiting to get the right deal.