1851

Kevin Long and Travis Miller are no stranger to competition. In fact, it was competition on the tennis court that cultivated their friendship at the age of ten. Despite being cross court rivals, a bond formed between them that lasted through the years.

After high school, the friends went their separate ways. But thankfully, they were still able to see each other as they both played collegiate tennis and crossed paths from time to time.

The culture of collegiate athletics fostered in them a passion for an active lifestyle and a healthy diet. This passion would stick with them through the pursuit of careers in accounting and finance.

After Miller moved back to Richmond, he and Long, fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire for health, began discussing the idea of opening a business together. During a trip to Philadelphia with his wife, Long fell in love with the <a href="http://saladworksfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-serving-aces-to-serving-salads-2703245" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saladworks</a> brand. Upon returning from his trip, he knew that this was the right concept and encouraged Miller to check it out. The two were sold.

&ldquo;We liked that it stayed with our lifestyle as athletes and passion for healthy food. We felt like they (Richmond), could get behind it,&rdquo; said Miller. &ldquo;There was nothing like this in the market; we wanted to fill the niche.&rdquo;

Since then, the duo has expanded to two locations in the Richmond area. Their strong ties to the community have allowed them to get involved in sponsorship of 5k&rsquo;s, tennis tournaments, and recently, the River Rock Music Festival.

&ldquo;We had a food truck at the River Rock Music Festival that featured a limit menu. It was a huge success&mdash;we couldn&rsquo;t be happier with how it turned out,&rdquo; said Miller.

The duo&#39;s ties to the community coupled with the demographic of the Richmond make a perfect recipe for success. Miller and Long say that Richmond has the same appreciation for health as they do.

&ldquo;Richmond is a very active and health conscious area. They are huge into running and tennis, and the residents are a young vibrant community,&rdquo; said Miller. &ldquo;We were filling a niche in the market. We knew it was a healthy city that would appreciate the concept and that they didn&rsquo;t have anything like it.&rdquo;

The duo is always looking for expansion locations.&nbsp; They are excited about the potential to increase the footprint of the <a href="https://saladworks.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-serving-aces-to-serving-salads-2703245" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saladworks</a>&nbsp;brand in a market that is ripe for development.&nbsp; In addition, they are excited about the trajectory of Saladworks and feel confident in expansion knowing they have the support of the home office.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Richmond market is spread out and we know that there are locations where we could go in and be successful. We definitely want to expand in the next couple years. Saladworks provided the support. Neither of us had experience in the food industry, and we needed support from a brand we believed in. Saladworks provided that,&rdquo; said Miller.

From Serving Aces to Serving Salads

1851 Franchise

Former tennis rivals join forces to bring a healthy option to Richmond.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

from-serving-aces-to-serving-salads

BooXkeeping

image of booxkeeping franchise graduation present

Why a BooXkeeping Franchise Might Be the Smartest Graduation Gift You Can Give

booxkeeping-franchise-graduation-gift

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

image of kidstrong franchisees NFL player Shaun Wade and his former Team USA Heptathlete wife Jordan

Why This Athlete Couple Chose To Open a KidStrong Franchise

nfl-player-shaun-wade-kidstrong-franchise-georgia

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Team of home inspectors exiting branded HomeTeam Inspection Service vehicle

HomeTeam Inspection Service Offers Franchise Opportunity With No Experience Required

hometeam-franchise-training

Comfort Keepers

image of comfort keepers employees franchise

Comfort Keepers® Partners With PocketRN to Enhance Dementia Care Nationwide

comfort-keepers-pocketrn-dementia-care-partnership

Right at Home

Right at Home Franchise - Q3 2025 Momentum - 1851 Franchise

Right at Home Continues Momentum as It Closes Out the Third Quarter and Looks Ahead To Hit Its Annual Signings and Openings Goal by the End of the Year

right-at-home-franchise-q3-2025

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saves Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Coffee & analytics image with photo of Nick Powills

Athletes And Franchising: Why the Connection Runs Deep

athletes-in-franchising

The Shift From Founder to Franchisor: Building a Team, Culture and System That Scale

the-shift-from-founder-to-franchisor-building-a-team-culture-and-system-that-scale

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

From Serving Aces to Serving Salads

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS