The Latest News

FE&S delivers relevant news of the day to the foodservice equipment and supplies marketplace.

Advertisement

Saladworks Parent Plants Growth Seeds with 2 Acquisitions

Saladworks’ parent company, Centre Lane Partners, has acquired two fast-casual concepts: Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Frutta Bowls. Saladworks and its two sibling concepts will now operate together in a newly formed holding company called WOWorks.

The Saladworks team will take over both brands’ infrastructure and operations “in its quest to drive explosive growth,” per a release announcing the deal. Current Garbanzo CEO James Park will stay on following the acquisition as special advisor to Kelly Roddy, who will serve as CEO of Saladworks and the newly formed WOWorks.

As its name implies, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh’s menu centers on better-for-you items that draw inspiration from the Mediterranean. Frutta Bowls' menu includes acai, pitaya and kale bowls with an array of both healthy and indulgent toppings.

“Like Saladworks, we believe Garbanzo and Frutta Bowls are complementary brands - all sharing a core DNA based upon fresh, flavorful and healthy food along with a heart for hospitality served through convenient business channels, which appeals to our Millennial family and Gen Z guests,” says Roddy. “We are excited to leverage the appeal of these unique and differentiated brands – along with the added size, scale and shared resources – to benefit all stakeholders including our team members, guests, business partners and communities.”

The acquisition comes during what has been a very busy 2020 for Saladworks. The restaurant chain added more than 40 locations in 2020 and entered such new markets as Canada, California, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Ohio, Florida and Indiana, per a company release.