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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Saladworks Franchise

Saladworks is a fast-casual restaurant franchise built around create-your-own salads, with a menu that also spans warm grain bowls, wraps, soups, sandwiches and panini melts. Founded in 1986 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, it is widely recognised as the first create-your-own salad restaurant concept and serves health-conscious customers across lunch, dinner and snack dayparts.

The kitchen model is deliberately equipment-light: locations operate without fryers, grills or hoods, relying on prep and assembly of 60-plus fresh ingredients. This keeps buildouts simpler than most restaurant concepts and supports flexible formats, from traditional storefronts of around 1,500 square feet to non-traditional and grocery store-within-a-store locations, plus co-branding with sister concepts.

Saladworks is owned by WOWorks, a parent group of better-for-you restaurant brands that also includes Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek. The network spans more than 20 states, with revenue drawn from in-store dining, catering, digital ordering and delivery.

Latest Resales

  • There are currently no Saladworks resales available
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Why buy a Saladworks Franchise?

Buying a Saladworks franchise offers entry into the healthy fast-casual category through a brand that helped define create-your-own salad dining and has decades of operating history behind it. The equipment-light kitchen keeps operational complexity lower than fry- and grill-based concepts, and the menu’s reach across salads, grain bowls, wraps and catering gives owners several revenue streams within a single footprint.

As part of WOWorks, franchisees gain the backing of a multi-brand parent with shared purchasing co-ops, marketing infrastructure and co-branding options across its better-for-you portfolio. Exclusive territories and a recognised national name give owners a defined market to build in, and the brand offers a 25% franchise-fee discount for veterans.

Saladworks Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1986

    • Franchising Since

      2001

    • New Startup Cost

      $484,000 – $677,800

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $12,500

      $7,500 to existing franchisee; $2,000 among partners

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      3%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      84

    • New Units Opened *

      5

    • Units Transferred *

      3

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $764,825

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Saladworks – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming Saladworks owners receive structured initial training of 17 hours of classroom instruction plus 80 hours of on-the-job training covering operations and customer service. Ongoing support includes purchasing co-ops, proprietary operating software, and marketing across national and regional advertising, social media, SEO, email and a customer loyalty programme and app, backed by continuing field and operations guidance. Resale buyers should confirm with Saladworks what transfer training and software access are provided to incoming owners when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Saladworks suits hands-on, operations-focused owners who want to be actively involved in running a restaurant; absentee ownership is not permitted. Prior restaurant or food-service experience is helpful but not required, as the franchisor provides structured training. Strong candidates are comfortable managing and scheduling staff, maintaining food-quality and service standards, and building local community and catering relationships. Multi-unit operators feature heavily in the system, so owners aiming to scale across a territory fit the model well.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Saladworks has earned recognition across the fast-casual and franchising sectors. It was named to FastCasual.com's Top 100 Movers & Shakers (2023), recognised by Entrepreneur as a top food franchise, and listed among Franchise Times' Top 200 franchises, with additional placement on the FranServe FranSurvey 500. As the original create-your-own salad concept and part of the WOWorks better-for-you portfolio, it also supports community causes through a partnership with No Kid Hungry. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside a specific unit's local reviews and reputation.

  4. Industry / Market

    Saladworks operates in the US fast-casual restaurant market, valued at about $48.5 billion in 2025 and projected to grow roughly 6.4% annually over the following decade. Demand for fresh, customizable, better-for-you meals continues to rise, particularly among Millennial and Gen Z diners who favour healthier convenience options. The salad and healthy-bowl segment benefits from this shift, though local demand depends on daytime foot traffic and office or retail density. Buyers should assess these factors for a specific unit's territory.

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