North Texas has taken quite a liking to healthy drive-thru chain, Salad and Go.
Two more locations are being planned for the area in 2022. One is coming to 3201 Lakeview Pkwy in Rowlett and the other will be located at 11750 US Hwy 380 in Cross Roads of Denton County.
With an estimated building cost of $300,000, the 767-square-foot space in Rowlett will be a brand new construction of a drive thru only restaurant. Work is expected to start by the end of February 2022 and be completed by the end of April.
The Cross Roads restaurant will also be a new construction from the ground up and slightly larger at 811-square-feet. Work is expected to begin by the end of March and be completed in July.
Founded in 2013 by husband and wife team, Tony and Roushan Christofellis, the brand offers fresh, made-to-order, health-conscious items including salads, wraps, soups and drinks for fairly low prices. Customers are given the option to customize their salads with protein such as chicken, tofu, and shrimp. Its menu also features breakfast items including $2.99 burritos and $1 organic cold brew.
Salad and Go has multiple locations throughout Arizona, where it is headquartered. The brand chose North Texas as its first point of expansion outside of its home state. And since the beginning of 2021, they have been on quite a roll opening locations in Carrollton, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Richardson for a total of six new restaurants
The brand’s second Fort Worth location is opening in January 2022 at 12556 N Beach St. A Frisco location is also forthcoming.
Salad and Go has found success not only from its low prices and “fast food” service format, but also from a creative menu that was designed by award-winning executive chef Daniel Patino, aka the “Salad Sorcerer”. No, really. “It’s his wide range of working with all types of ingredients and restaurant settings that makes Salad and Go’s meals so delicious and craveable,” the brand’s website reads.
Trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Patino is most known for being the Executive Chef of Bourbon Steak at the 5-diamond Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort. He has also worked in acclaimed restaurants including Michelin 3-starred The French Laundry in Yountville, Daniel in New York City, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and Stars in San Francisco and Seattle.
Using fresh, whole food ingredients and understanding how flavor and taste should be reflected in every dish – including salads – is important to Patino.
“I wanted to show people that healthy food can taste great and be good for you,” Patino said. “I wanted to bring the drive of top-notch restaurants to people on a daily basis.”
