This Texas-based restaurant chain is planning to continue Georgia expansion in Columbus
A Texas-based restaurant chain is making plans to move into the Columbus area next year as a continuation of its expansion in Georgia.
Salata currently has 10 locations in the Atlanta metro, vice president of franchise Julie Davis told the Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus has the infrastructure to support the restaurant, she said, and the presence of Fort Benning made Muscogee County attractive for the franchise.
Salata should be ready to announce more plans about when and where the first restaurant in Columbus will open during the first quarter of 2023, Davis said.
The restaurant features a fully customizable salad and wrap kitchen with over 50 toppings and a dozen dressings, she said, and is designed to have a clean and light environment. Salata also offers homemade soups, custom cheese and teas.
“There’s real flavor profile differentiators for the consumer,” Davis said. “Since COVID, anything on a small scale that somebody can feel like they have a little control over is certainly going to bring some comfort to them.”
Around 70% of Salata’s customers order their food to-go, Davis said. She believes that this fact makes Salata attractive to landlords and developers because the business model allows for franchise owners to scale back the size of the restaurant.
The small size allows Salata to be cohabitants with other businesses within shopping centers or opened inside of fitness centers, Davis said.
‘Resiliency of the brand’
Two brothers-in-law, Berge Simonian and Tony Kyoumjian, founded Salata in Houston in 2005. The restaurant became a franchise the next year and began to expand across five states, including Georgia.
“To start in such a huge market, such as Houston, really shows the resiliency of the brand,” she said.
The franchise puts a focus on its employees having a flexible work schedule, Davis said, with the heaviest part of the work day in the morning during its prep shift. This allows employees to go home and be with their families in the evenings, she said, and Salata often hires students to work in the afternoons.
Prioritizing their employees’ work-life balance is something “you don’t really find in the restaurant industry,” Davis said.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle in the community is one of the priorities for the restaurant, according to the chain’s website. It accomplishes this goal by providing food education, helping to promote active lifestyles, advocate for mental wellness and help when the community is in times of need.
Salata locations in other cities have hosted teacher appreciation events, taken a food truck out to educate customers on the health benefits of fresh food and partnered with local charities and food banks.
“Yes, we’re just a restaurant,” Davis said. “But we really live and breathe the culture of health and fitness.”
This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
