The Salad Station Brings Pay-By-The-Pound, Delicious and Sustainable Food Options to Alabama

Founded in 2012 by now-president Scott Henderson with the support of mother and business partner Cindy Henderson, The Salad Station is a pay-by-the-pound salad concept that offers fresh ingredients, minimal waste and industry-leading value to its customers. The Henderson/Liuzza family—who own both Liuzza Farm Produce and Berry Town Produce—started The Salad Station with a commitment to a bountiful salad bar that is always “Fresh, Full, Clean.”

Since opening up to franchising in 2015, The Salad Station has been providing satisfied franchisees with a simplified business model, flexible operations, family-friendly hours, a low cost of entry and an innovative approach to healthy eating. Now, The Salad Station is looking to partner with hard-working, family-focused individuals that are eager to dedicate themselves to growing the brand.

In response to the launch of a new location in Mobile, Alabama this August, The Salad Station is focusing its expansion efforts throughout the entire state. The brand is planning continued development in larger cities throughout the state to fill an untapped market and consumer demand for healthier, fresher ingredients at a pay-by-the-pound price. 

“The Mobile, Alabama location has proven to be a huge success and we believe the state presents a perfect opportunity for development,” said President Scott Henderson. “Logistically, as our brand growth has moved through Mississippi, Alabama is positioned to be the ideal extension of our expansion efforts. The population in towns such as Birmingham and Mobile continues to look for a healthy, self-serve lunch option and The Salad Station is well-positioned to meet that demand.”

According to a recent study by Alabama News Center magazine, Mobile, Alabama placed No. 2 for economic growth potential among U.S. cities with fewer than 300,000 residents. Overall, Alabama’s economy experienced an impressive 2.2% growth rate last year. Gurjit Sandhu, owner of The Salad Station in Mobile, Alabama, has seen exceptional sales and customer feedback since his grand opening in mid-August.

“The community in Mobile has been super welcoming and it is clear that the people in the city have been looking for healthy options and exceptional customer service,” said Sandhu. “Since opening, it has been incredibly rewarding to see customers come back for lunch day after day and say how thankful they are that a fresh, quick-service salad option has come to their town. We’ve also been getting a ton of positive feedback on our Facebook page.”

The Salad Station offers franchisees like Sandhu a low-cost labor model and investment cost that starts at around $200,000. With lifestyle-friendly work hours in which the restaurant is closed at 7:30 p.m. during the week and all day on Sunday, franchisees can hire younger staff members such as high school students and encourage community-building. 

The Salad Station leadership team is targeting development in several of Alabama’s major cities, which features a market capacity of three additional stores in Mobile, five stores in Birmingham and two stores in Montgomery. Henderson predicts a market capacity of one to two locations in the smaller towns such as  Huntsville, Auburn and Tuscaloosa, plus Pensacola, Florida, due to its proximity to the border.

“In some of these less populated areas, consumers don’t have access to healthy, quick-serve options,” said Henderson. “While The Salad Station works great in big cities in which workers need quick meal options, we also appeal to these smaller towns and college areas, such as Auburn and Tuscaloosa, where younger customers are looking for reliable and healthier options. Our Salad Station location in Mobile, Alabama is just the beginning—we are extremely excited about another recent signing in Birmingham as well and are confident it will continue our success.” 

As The Salad Station builds out from its core in Louisiana and expands throughout the southeastern U.S., it is emerging as a leader in the pay-by-the-pound salad segment. Moving forward, Henderson believes Alabama will introduce a range of burgeoning new markets, including additional territories in Mobile and other cities that position franchisees for success. 

“Everyday customers are telling us how much Mobile, Alabama needed a Salad Station location,” said Sandhu. “As opposed to the same old QSR food choices, we are offering something that is fresh, innovative and satisfying at the same time.” 

Even with an aggressive growth plan to hit 40+ locations by the end of 2020, The Salad Station is making sure to stay true to its farming roots with a commitment to fresh ingredients, sustainable operations and exceptional value that does everything full of heart. 

The Salad Station franchise investment ranges from $198,650 and $354,900. To learn more about franchising with The Salad Station, visit https://thesaladstation.com/franchising.