A Texas salad brand with a location in Charlotte plans to expand into the Triangle
There are other lunches out there than three handfuls of Goldfish crackers in between meetings.
Now a Texas-based salad concept making its way into the Triangle aims to expand the healthy options for local diners.
Houston’s Salata salad bar chain plans to open more than a dozen locations in the coming years, said Julie Davis, a VP of franchise development for the brand.
Davis said the recent boom in the Triangle, with tech giants and major developments moving in, attracted the salad brand to the market.
“Being one of the best performing economies in the country and being in such a growth mode, that’s what got our attention,” Davis said. “It’s a great place to introduce a new product.”
‘Fully customizable salads’
The menu at Salata focuses on salads with a variety of greens and wraps, with protein options like pesto grilled chicken, falafel and salmon, plus nearly a dozen housemade dressings.
“Salata specializes in fully customizable salads and wraps, using 50 fresh ingredients tailored to various lifestyles and tastes,” Davis said. “We have diners who tell us they love to put fruit in their salads, and love to put jalapenos in their salads. ... And our chef and dressings team comes up with all sorts of creative options when coming up with different flavor profiles.”
The phrase “salad bar” fell a bit out of favor in the COVID era, where communal spaces seemed fraught. Davis said Salata is not like the salad bars of old, but more like the fast casual models diners have known for years.
“We’re a ‘salad kitchen,’” Davis said. “We’re a healthy brand built around healthy options for our customers. Along with that comes a pristine and safe environment. What you have is a really beautiful sneeze guard that separates customers from the food.”
Like other fast casual salad brands, Salata’s bowls and wraps are built along the bar, as diners pick their ingredients and an employee prepares the meal.
Following Torchy’s to the Triangle
Davis said the pandemic shifted the areas in the Triangle where Salata locations are likely to open. In Charlotte, the brand opened its first North Carolina store in the city’s urban “Uptown” area, and many of its Houston locations are near the center of the city.
“Our approach is different in each market,” Davis said. “We look at how much of the area has returned to work in-person. We haven’t really returned to offices in Houston, so we’ve focused on the suburban areas for new locations.”
Now that means that Salata is largely a takeout business. Davis said 70% of its orders are to-go, either ordered online or in-person.
“We’ve really matured as a brand in the last year,” Davis said. “It drove us to new levels.”
Salata looks to start opening locations in the Triangle starting in 2023.
It’s the second growing Texas restaurant brand to move into the area, following Torchy’s Tacos, which opened its first North Carolina location last year in Raleigh’s Midtown East development.
“We’re in recruitment mode, working on laying a strong foundation,” Davis said.
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 2:47 PM.
