Snappy Salads is Growing Fast

Snappy Salads was recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Dallas area at the Dallas 100 Awards, held November 4 at the Meyerson Symphony Center. In its 19th year, the Dallas 100 Awards are presented by the SMU Cox Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship.

The success of the 100 winning companies indicates that despite the recession, entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in North Texas. These companies generated $8.4 billion in sales over the past three years. Average sales increased 176 percent from 2006 to 2008, and the number of employees grew from 14,764 to 26,142.

“We are honored to receive this award,” says Chris Dahlander, founder of Snappy Salads. “It is a testament to our team that continues to deliver our brand promise each day and how our guests are responding to our food and service, especially considering this economic climate. Our 2009 year-to-date growth, 6 percent in comparable same-stores sales, and 6.4 percent in transactions further highlights our opportunities for expansion in the future.”

To qualify for the Dallas 100 a company must be an independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship, or partnership (not a subsidiary of a parent company) as of May 1, 2008; be headquartered in the Dallas area; have had sales of more than $500,000 in fiscal 2006; have had sales of not more than $75,000,000 in 2006; have a three-year sales history reflecting growth; and have a credit report and character satisfactory to the Dallas 100, determined at the sole discretion of the Dallas 100.

“In some ways the Dallas 100 winning companies seem to defy gravity. In a 10 percent unemployment national environment they created more than 11,000 new jobs over the last two years,” says Jerry White, director of the Caruth Institute. “These companies prove that with innovative ideas and top quality management dynamic, fast growth businesses can be built even in challenging environments.”

Sam Wyly, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Green Mountain Energy presented the keynote, and Lisa Bormaster, publisher of the Dallas Business Journal, and Kevin Knox, assistant dean of external relations, SMU Cox School of Business, served as emcees for the event.