How Does the Saladworks Franchise Work?

The Restaurant sells approved food and beverages to the general public through on-premises dining, carry-out, online pickup, delivery and catering. The current consumer menu presents salads, warm grain bowls, wraps, melts, soups, kids’ meals, sides, desserts and beverages, while menu availability can vary by location.

Saladworks, LLC licenses the System rather than an unrestricted restaurant concept. The franchisee must offer all required Approved Services and Products, follow Proprietary Recipes, hold sufficient inventory, and sell only authorized items. The official Saladworks menu and create-your-own ordering steps show the guest-facing choice structure; Item 16 and Franchise Agreement Section 7.10 establish the restriction.

Catering is required. The official catering channel accepts salad bars, sandwich or wrap trays, boxed lunches and catering bundles. Delivery radius, minimum order and delivery fee vary by location, so local fulfillment terms operate inside the franchisor’s catering standards.

Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 1, 16 and 19; Franchise Agreement Recitals and Section 1; Affiliate Product Line Addendum. Captive or semi-captive outlets appear in Item 19, but no complete separate new-unit specification is disclosed.

Work moves from franchisor-controlled demand channels into the required POS System, then to trained unit personnel for recipe-based preparation, customer handoff, payment or reward processing, and finally sales reporting, inventory control and quality review.

Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 6, 8, 11 and 16; Franchise Agreement Sections 7.10–7.13 and 10–11; Operations Manuals table of contents. The official Rewards FAQ distinguishes first-party ordering from third-party delivery orders for loyalty treatment.

The franchisee or at least one principal must devote personal full-time attention and best efforts to management and operation. Day-to-day supervision may be delegated to a trained Manager, but each Restaurant must always have a Manager who completed Saladworks initial training.

The Manager works full time, acts for the franchisee in dealings with Saladworks, LLC, and must be identified to the franchisor. Every multi-unit location needs a trained Manager. A replacement must be hired within 30 days and complete initial training within 60 days, subject to trainer availability.

The franchisee hires, schedules, supervises, trains and pays Restaurant personnel. The FDD discloses no required headcount, shift pattern or staffing ratio. Scheduling, timekeeping and payroll modules remain optional; the franchisee may use alternative software or another method.

The franchisor defines the System and controls specified inputs and channels; the franchisee executes the Restaurant operation and bears employer, vendor, legal and financial responsibility; designated third parties provide required distribution, payment and digital infrastructure.

The franchisee cannot freely source the operating stack. Inventory, equipment, fixtures, furnishings, display units, signs, uniforms, supplies and materials must come from Saladworks, LLC or approved or designated sources, and the franchisor can revoke an approval or change specifications.

The Prime Supplier Program designates an exclusive distributor for proprietary and non-proprietary food, paper and janitorial products. A Co-Brand Restaurant also buys specified FRUTTA BOWLS ingredients through the program. Alternative suppliers require review; approval may cover only a named product line, and approved suppliers must report franchisee purchases.

Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 8 and 11 and Exhibits E, J and K; Franchise Agreement Sections 7.8 and 7.12–7.13. The Technology Bundle, hardware and network may change; the franchisee remains responsible for operation, maintenance and PCI compliance.

Saladworks, LLC controls the branded operating system: approved products, recipes, suppliers, technology, minimum operating periods, marketing materials, digital presence, loyalty and gift cards, quality standards, inspections and data access. The franchisee controls local employment, day-to-day execution, retail pricing and certain back-office tools within those boundaries.

SW Brand Fund, LLC administers the Brand Development Fund; the franchisee executes the Local Advertising Requirement under approved plans and materials. Systemwide promotions can mandate limited-time products, point-of-purchase materials, promotional pricing or coupons. Additional local spending is permitted, but unapproved materials and independent brand websites are prohibited.

Franchise Agreement Section 12.1 preserves the franchisee’s right to set retail prices, subject to required systemwide promotions, approved discounts and coupon controls. The FDD does not state that Saladworks, LLC sets every ordinary menu price.

Each approved Restaurant receives a protected Territory, but not an exclusive territory. The protected area can be no larger than the Approved Location, and the franchisor retains broad rights for alternative channels, captive sites, different marks and customers who contact the brand directly.

While the franchisee remains compliant, Saladworks generally will not license another System Restaurant under the Proprietary Marks inside the Territory. Protection does not block the loyalty program, gift card program, branded food trucks, salad stations, store-within-a-store placements, captive locations or Saladworks items sold through establishments operating mainly under different marks.

The franchisee cannot independently use e-commerce, create a brand website, register a Saladworks domain or run unapproved internet advertising. Saladworks, LLC controls the master digital presence; the franchisee may customize an approved location page and use authorized social pages under the Social Media Policy. See the official location directory.

At September 28, 2025, the U.S. system contained 84 outlets: 83 franchised and one company-owned. Item 20 also reports that total outlets declined from 99 at the end of 2023 to 91 at the end of 2024 and 84 at the end of 2025.

Item 20 reports five franchised openings and nine outlets that ceased operations for other reasons in fiscal 2025. It also lists 20 signed Franchise Agreements for outlets not yet open and seven projected new franchised outlets. These pipeline figures are not completed openings or current outlet counts.

The FDD defines control rights and core processes but does not disclose a model headcount, shift plan, current store-level service times, exact local delivery economics, detailed required inventory pars, or the complete current contents of the confidential Operations Manuals.