How one foodservice operator is putting fruit and vegetables center plate

When it comes to moving the needle on fresh produce consumption through foodservice, personalization and convenience are key, as is a healthy dose of wow factor.

That’s the concept behind Saladworks, a Conshohocken, Pa.-based fast-casual create-your-own salad concept. Part of the WOWorks family of brands that also includes the produce-forward Frutta Bowls and Zoup! Eatery concepts, Saladworks was founded in 1986 in Cherry Hills, N.J.

Saladworks has both free-standing fast-casual restaurants and in-store locations in a growing number of supermarkets. More recently the company has focused on expanding its in-store grab-and-go kiosks.

“We are aggressive with opening new traditional and nontraditional locations,” says Lauriena Borstein, chief brand officer for Saladworks, Frutta Bowls and Zoup! Eatery. “We plan to open 20 traditional and at least 20 nontraditional locations this year.”

Borstein describes “nontraditional” locations as those that co-brand both Saladworks and Frutta Bowls in one location.

“We’re now co-branding more of our locations than not with our Frutta Bowls concept, so most of the Saladworks locations we’re opening this year are co-brands and everything in the pipeline for next year is also co-branded,” she said.

WOWorks describes Frutta Bowls as a “superfood café” with menu items such as acai and pitaya bowls, fruit and kale smoothies, avocado toast and more.

Saladworks is also expanding its in-store locations in grocery, particularly with its grab-and-go kiosks, which the company calls “satellite retail units.” In some cases, in-store Saladworks are packaging additional Saladworks-branded salads and wraps and selling them through grab-and-go kiosks in the retailer’s other area stores.

Borstein says this “hub and spoke” model is also currently being tested by a Saladworks franchisee in partnership with Rhode Island-based Dave’s Fresh Marketplace. The franchisee is supplying Dave’s stores with fresh grab-and-go salads packaged at its free-standing Saladworks.

In addition to Dave’s, Saladworks has a corporate relationship with a Philadelphia-based ShopRite franchisee, as well as a “rapidly expanding” partnership with The Giant Co. of Carlisle, Pa., Borstein said. The partnerships include approximately 41 grab-and-go locations, 38 of which are in Giant stores and three of which are in ShopRite locations.

While the company is ramping up its grab-an-go kiosks, full-size, in-store Saladworks are still on the agenda, Borstein says.

“[Moving forward], I think we’ll do both where the opportunities make sense,” she said. “We’re still open to opening more store-within-a-store full locations — if it’s the right market, the right location. But the grab-and-go has proven really successful as well, and it almost helps us see the markets and grocery stores in which we could do really well with a full location.”

Making salads work

Why is the Saladworks concept resonating with consumers and ultimately driving fresh produce consumption?

“I think it’s a combination of things,” Borstein said. “In our traditional locations, it’s a lot about the consumer’s ability to personalize and customize the salads they’re getting. That’s what we’re all about — create your own with very visual, fresh ingredients.”

Inviting consumers to increase their fresh produce intake on their own terms could be the key to additional engagement and driving consumption.

“[At Saladworks], they can combine what they want, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be super healthy. They can put some green goddess or ranch dressing on it, but they’re still eating fresh food that they can feel good about,” Borstein said. “There’s different layers to the Saladworks experience. This is a concept that works for anybody — from someone who’s just trying to do a little bit better to someone who’s trying to be really healthy. “

On the other hand, grab-and-go is also thriving “because people want things when they want them and it’s convenient.”

Related: Markon touts versatility in new ready-to-use foodservice salad mix

In terms of salad trends, Borstein says it’s a mixed bag.

There’s no single ingredient that everyone is gravitating to, she says. “But we do try to make sure, especially as we’re developing future LTOs [limited-time offers], that we are bringing people the flavors that they’re looking for and the items that they’re looking for — no matter what lifestyle.”

As Saladworks launched a new menu in 2020, the company isn’t making sweeping changes to its lineup, but it is starting to work on a next-generation menu featuring more premium items and proteins — both plant-based and traditional, Borstein said.

Bowls bear fruit

On the Frutta Bowls front, Borstein says acai bowls are hot.

“They continue to be our No. 1 selling base for the bowls,” she said. “We just did an LTO that we are going to bring on as a permanent menu item with a coconut base that has been very popular as well.

“We don’t focus solely on recipe-based bowls or smoothies at Frutta Bowls,” she continued. “We encourage the guest to make it what they want to make it — to switch out and to make changes. Customers have the ability to personalize what they’re getting at Frutta Bowls, the same as Saladworks, which is why I think the co-brand works so well together.”

Produce partnerships

What can produce suppliers do to be a more desirable partner to Saladworks?

“The most important thing for us is consistency of quality, and that’s because center of the plate for us is our produce. And that’s true for both Saladworks and Frutta Bowls,” Borstein said. “Ensuring that it’s all fresh all the time and high quality is so important for Saladworks, specifically around lettuce. There are periodically challenges with lettuce as anyone in the produce business knows, so it’s really important.”

What advice does Borstein have for retailers considering Saladworks or a similar concept in-store?

“It depends on their business, but from the retailers we’ve talked to and the interest we’ve seen in the concept, it really depends on the amount of focus that they can give it,” she said.

Especially with grab-and-go prepared salads, retailers need to ask themselves what margin they’re making with their existing salads?

“If they can take making grab-and-go salads off their plate and still make money and offer their guest a better product that’s more convenient, Saladworks makes a lot of sense.”