Souper Salad Inc., parent company of Souper Salad and Grandy’s restaurants, named Ward Olgreen its new president and CEO. The appointment of Olgreen follows the retirement of former CEO Tim Taft.

“We thank Tim for his many contributions over the last two years,” says Tom Taylor, chairman of Souper Salad Inc. “Tim successfully led the company during a difficult time in the restaurant industry, as evidenced by improvements in our sales and guest traffic in May of this year. First and foremost, he developed a strong management team that remains intact, providing a complete and orderly transition of leadership. At the same time, we are very pleased to announce Ward Olgreen as the company’s new CEO. Ward brings a unique blend of experience, particularly in the areas of operations and franchise development, as we continue an aggressive path toward franchising both Souper Salad and Grandy’s.”


Olgreen, with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, joined Souper Salad Inc. as its chief operating officer in 2008. Prior to that, he spent 17 years with Dallas-based Pizza Inn in a variety of leadership positions, including senior vice president of worldwide franchising and vice president of operations. 


“Our work is well underway,” Olgreen says. “With our financial partners, suppliers, and support center team, we will continue to accomplish our goals through a shared mission to work smart, stay relevant, and never forget that this is all about delivering a quality product to our loyal customers.”