Last year was big for the fast-casual salad franchisor, but 2020 could see even further developments take shape.
Saladworks, one of the most popular entrée salad offerings in the States, started the new year with its 100th opening in Howard Park, Baltimore, on Monday 6 January. Alongside this celebratory occasion, the brand has announced targeted growth throughout the state of Ohio, as part of Saladworks’ ‘Year of Originality’.
“The state of Ohio offers us a great opportunity for organic growth,” said Eric Lavinder, VP of franchise development. “Not only does it provide an adjacent territory to our market in Pennsylvania, but Ohio is also an extremely business-friendly state with responsible rent, market rates, and great minimum wage.”
Multiple primary markets are currently under scrutiny, including Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. These are preferred over saturated areas like New York City or Los Angeles, and Ohio has both the space and demand that Saladworks believes it can fill.
“There is no other fast-casual, create-your-own salad concept in the Ohio area,” said Lavinder. “While the bigger cities are extremely competitive, there are not a ton of healthy concepts in Ohio’s markets.”
Taking full advantage of this first-mover advantage, Saladworks has its sights set on the aforementioned regions, as well as Dayton; all of which are expected to house twelve to fifteen potential markets, which will likely have more than one restaurant.
“While Saladworks works everywhere,” said Lavinder, “we are confident that the Ohio markets will provide the perfect demographic, business-friendly rates, and opportunity for explosive franchise growth.”
