Houston-based Salata, the fast-growing salad and salad wrap restaurant company, will introduce a new prototype with the opening of its Pearland, Texas, location in mid-July. The design, featuring all-natural building materials, sets the direction for all future restaurant openings and reflects the chain’s mission to offer fresh, healthy and pure menu offerings.
“The new design encompasses everything Salata is about—fresh, customizable, and high quality—while delivering a more vibrant and modern atmosphere,” says Salata founder Berge Simonian. “After the Pearland debut, we’ll roll out the new design in 10 new company-owned and franchised restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Los Angeles.”
A state-of-the-art beverage station with tea taps will be a focal point of the new look. The taps deliver fresh iced tea and lemonade through a system much like a beer tap. The healthy, refreshing drinks are stored in custom-designed containers to ensure freshness and are fed straight to the customer’s glass. To showcase the new taps, Salata will debut two new iced tea flavors—mango and black currant—and plans to roll out limited-time-only blends seasonally.
Nearly every element of the restaurant design has changed, both customer-facing and back of the house. To complement Salata’s menu offerings, natural materials are used throughout. Dark mango-stained wood lines the walls and stone countertops replace wood laminate, while prep areas will feature stone and glass. Subway tiles in the ordering station take the place of menu boards, which are being phased out.
“We realized we didn’t need menu boards because we’re all about customization and customer preference,” says Simonian. “The new design reflects that philosophy—our guests interact directly with the wide range of fresh ingredients laid out in front of them to guide their decisions.”
Elements of Salata’s prep line were also changed to add efficiencies. Custom-designed “toss tables” deliver a more continuous flow and allow guests to see their customized salads and wraps being tossed to perfection.
The new design was developed in conjunction with restaurant design and marketing firm Norton Creative and the expert restaurant equipment team at Concept Services.
