How the Gourmet Salad Concept, Salad Station, Emerged from the Pandemic Stronger Than Ever

Salad Station, the self-serve salad franchise based in Hammond, Louisiana, has always worked hard to support franchisees with a simplified business model, flexible operations, family-friendly hours, a low cost of entry, and an innovative approach to healthy eating. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this infrastructure helped franchisees stay afloat, and now, with demand reaching an all-time high, franchisees are emerging from the pandemic stronger than ever.

According to the annual Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council, three out of five consumers said they consider how healthy items are when choosing what to eat. In the first few months of the pandemic, more than half of consumers said they made changes to their diets to promote healthfulness and the healthiness of food makes more of a difference to them now than it did a decade ago. A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori and the Food Standards Agency also found that 35% of consumers are buying more local foods than before the pandemic.

Through the use of fresh, local ingredients and a commitment to emphasizing its roots in family farming and local agriculture, Salad Station is able to provide guests a healthy, affordable alternative to traditional restaurant brands and appeal to this growing consumer demand for clean eating. Salad Station’s unique self-serve, pay-by-the-pound approach, which includes over 100 toppings and a gourmet hot bar, allows franchise partners to stand out over other BYO salad companies. The brand continues to innovate with an ever-evolving menu and on-the-spot chop or wrap options.

Additionally, Salad Station was well-positioned to fulfill the increased demand during the early days of the pandemic because the brand already had safety procedures in place. “Employees always had to wear gloves, sanitizer stations had already been positioned throughout the restaurant, we had rotating tongs and our bars were sanitized throughout the day regularly,and most importantly we were already requiring our guests to use gloves to make their meal.” said Scott Henderson, the brand’s co-founder and president. “We also added an online ordering digital app, and our Tampa location, for example, is thriving with the digital add-on making up 60% to 70% of their sales.”

Salad Station’s robust corporate team also helped provide franchisees with the necessary support to survive the pandemic. Franchising veteran Tom O’Keefe, who joined the emerging salad concept as a law consultant in early 2020.

O'Keefe is a seasoned executive in the franchise industry who has held leadership roles at Anytime Fitness, Popeyes/Church's and Ruth's Hospitality Group. He was the president and COO of Smoothie King franchise from January 2013 to April 2017, and during his tenure as senior vice president at Anytime Fitness LLC, the franchise eclipsed 2,000 units and entered seven new foreign markets. In addition to experience as a corporate team member, O’Keefe has several years of experience as a franchisee.

With all of O’Keefe’s experience in the industry, he was able to share best practices to help both the corporate team and the brand’s franchisees navigate the pandemic.

“A franchisor should have established integrity, a proven business model, an in-demand consumer offering that fills a niche, and respect for the franchise partners,” O'Keefe said. “A successful franchise opportunity is a trade — the franchisor relies on the franchisee to grow the capital, while the franchisee relies on the franchisor for support. Having the infrastructure in place to assist and support the franchisee is always critical, but the pandemic made it even more essential. Salad Station had that infrastructure, and that is why we’ve made it out of the pandemic stronger than ever.”

Now, with all the Salad Station locations back at 100% pre-pandemic sales levels, O’Keefe says the brand shows no signs of slowing down. In the last few months, Salad Station has been focused on franchise growth, signing three new franchisees across Tennessee and Texas.

“If prospective franchisees are interested in Salad Station and they do their due diligence, they will come away very excited about Salad Station’s investment opportunity,” said O’Keefe. “I’ve worked with franchise concepts of all sizes and types, and our success over the past year makes it clear that Salad Station is well-equipped to thrive during even the toughest times.”

The startup costs for a franchise with Salad Station range from $198,650 to $354,900. The franchise fee is $32,000. To learn more about franchising with Salad Station, visit https://saladstationfranchise.com.