 To the first-time business owners of Salad Creations, located at 1043 Woodward Ave. in Detroit, the franchise operation was a chance to partake in a profit as fast and healthy as their fare.
Luciano Gonzalez (pictured) and Anthony Ciotti, both 26, are the first Michigan franchisees and also the area developers for Salad Creations, a restaurant that elevates the salad from side dish to the main event. It’s a fast food concept they hope fits nicely with customers’ desire for a quick meal that’s also good for them.
Gonzalez and Ciotti first learned of the concept – which company officials say was developed specifically to make franchising easy – from friends in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area where it originated. They immediately signed on for a company “discovery day,” at which potential franchisees tour a store and learn the concept firsthand.
“We walked out of there thinking, ‘We need to do this,” Gonzalez says. “This is something that not only Michigan is looking for, but the rest of the country is looking for. People love the idea of eating healthy.”
Last March they opened the downtown Salad Creations, which is the state’s first. The location was chosen for its proximity to Compuware headquarters and the coming Quicken Loans and Cadillac Tower developments – and the business potential Gonzalez, a West Bloomfield native and Ciotti, who grew up in Grosse Pointe, see in the city of Detroit.
Faith in Detroit
Two years ago, Gonzalez moved his residence downtown, not far from his store; he says the building he lives in is now nearly full. The area’s rebounding business community, he believes, is the perfect fit for what the company calls a “lifestyle brand” aimed at an educated consumer.
Salad Creations specializes – obviously – in salads, along with dressings, wraps, soups and smoothies made with only the freshest ingredients, which, combined with the company’s business model, recently led to a No. 1 salad franchise rating by Entrepreneur magazine.
“What better place than downtown?” he asks.
There may be none better, but more places definitely are on the way. Gonzalez says a store will open in March across from the new Partridge Creek mall at Hall and Romeo Plank roads. Lease negotiations also are under way for a downtown Rochester location.
Salad Creations menu items range from $4.99 to $9.99, though the $6.99 Create Your Own Salad option probably is the most popular. Customers also can add proteins, such as chicken, salmon or shrimp for an additional for $2.25 to $3.50. Gonzalez said the company recently announced menu changes featuring some smaller portions at lower prices – a move he hopes will enable Salad Creations to address local customers’ economic situation in addition to their dietary needs.
“Michigan is one of the fattest states in the country,” Gonzalez says. “Hopefully, this new concept will appeal to people looking for a fast alternative to fast food.”
Plans for up to 55 locations
Gonzalez also hopes that the company’s franchising concept will appeal to local entrepreneurs.
“The training you get from corporate allows anybody, even without food experience, to run a franchise,” Gonzalez says.
So far, the company has sold 89 stores nationwide and opened 40. He and Ciotti hope to develop up to 55 units over the next seven years. As area developers, Gonzalez and Ciotti would receive a percentage of revenue from new franchises within the region during that time.
Salad Creations downtown location is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
-- By Tom Tigani, Daily Dash contributing writer. |
