WOWorks, the holding company of good-for-you restaurant brands, Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina, and Zoup! Eatery, is set to appear on “The Balancing Act” airing on Lifetime TV, a popular morning show for women. The segment, featuring WOWorks President and CEO Kelly Roddy and multi-unit Saladworks franchisee Diane Taveau, will include some of their restaurant brands’ most prominent, healthier-for-you menu items.
The segment is set to air at 7:30am on July 11th and will re-air on July 19th. It will be the first time since their recent acquisitions that the company will display all six of their brands publicly. Showcasing and creating customizable salads, wraps, acai bowls, dragon fruit bowls, smoothies, avocado toasts and more, Roddy and Taveau will use these fan-favorite meals to highlight the company’s mission to grow into one of the largest plant-based and healthier-for-you family of brands in the restaurant sector.
“The great thing about Saladworks is that we have over sixty different ingredients you can choose from so you can never get bored,” Taveau says.
With Millennials and Gen Z making up over 60% of the U.S. population, guests have never been more health-conscious. Young families and guests with active, on-the-go lifestyles are attracted to WOWorks family of fast casual restaurants because the brands feature customizable, healthy halo of ingredients and meal options on their menus. Taveau, a long-time Saladworks customer herself, introduced the brand in Tennessee and now owns two locations along with a quasi-location at East Tennessee State University that uses kitchen robotics to serve up healthy meals for students. In the segment, she will offer an owner’s perspective on what makes these innovative brands so exciting and profitable.
“It’s great to have pride in what you’re doing. We love being our own business owners and creating our own culture, plus it’s great having a parent company because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “From marketing strategy to training, it is so helpful to have a great structure and support system in place.”
WOWorks inked deals for 112 new locations last year alone before taking their franchise network to the next level with their acquisition of Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery earlier this year. Between their six brands, they expect to end the year with over 400 restaurants and create over 10,000 job opportunities in the restaurant industry.
“As our unique, healthier for you-focused restaurant brands continue to “WOW!” our guests, we are hoping this segment will inspire aspiring business owners to take their passion for food to the next level,” says Roddy. “People want to be their own boss and control their own destiny. They’re passionate about food or living a healthy lifestyle, but they don’t really know how to start a restaurant. That’s what we do, we are providing fantastic opportunities for people to own their own restaurants.”
WOWorks franchise owners come from diverse backgrounds, including existing franchise owners of different brands, various business ownership backgrounds in construction, hotels, and fitness, former professional athletes and military veterans. The company has franchising opportunities available in 49 states (all states excluding Hawaii) and offers 25 percent off franchise fees for veterans and first responders.
