WOWorks family of restaurant brands Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek, have achieved steady growth for the second quarter of 2021 and the brands are on track to open more than 70 new restaurants before the end of the year. In the past three months, the brands have signed 13 new franchise agreements and opened 18 new locations, including debuts in Utah, California, Texas, Massachusetts and Tennessee – proving the consistent demand for fresh, flavorful and healthy fast-casual dining options.

Some notable WOWorks growth milestones and key accomplishments in the past three months include:

• WOWorks restaurants as a whole have seen strong growth with its brands in non-traditional restaurant venues such as Ghost Kitchens, Combo Kitchens, grocery stores, airports, colleges and universities.
• Among the 18 locations that have opened in Q2, 83 percent have been non-traditional restaurants.
• WOWorks is projecting 61 new openings in non-traditional verticals before the end of the year and is pursuing more grocery opportunities in Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
• In June, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh opened its first restaurant in Salt Lake City Airport. This is the brand’s first location in Utah.
• In June, Frutta Bowls’ signed a franchise agreement with SteelCraft, a trendy outdoor eatery concept that uses shipping containers as a restaurant space. This marks the brand’s debut in California.
• Saladworks was named No. 7 on the 2021 list of the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, while WOWorks CEO Kelly Roddy claimed the No. 2 spot on the Top 25 Executives within the Fast Casual Industry.

WOWorks is also fielding inquiries from potential investors around the country for co-branded concepts where one location will house two WOWorks brands. For example, this month WOWorks opened its first Saladworks and Frutta Bowls co-branded location in East Norriton, Pennsylvania as well as their first ever grocery location. They also have stores opening in Pennsylvania, Norfolk, Virginia, West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Reno, Nevada.

“In addition to continuing to build our traditional restaurant growth, we are looking to redefine the non-traditional restaurant category in unique and relevant platforms. From exploring non-traditional channels such as grocery stores, airports, universities, colleges and ghost kitchens, we are paving the way for growth with all of the brands under the WOWorks umbrella,” says Eric Lavinder, Chief Development Officer for WOWorks. “We are especially excited about the possibilities with co-branded WOWorks restaurants that can help franchisees expand revenue hours to include breakfast.”