Saladworks sells salads, grain bowls and sandwiches. A new location of the restaurant chain recently opened at the Duckridge Landing center in the same storefront as a Frutta Bowls. (Photos courtesy WoWorks)
A two-in-one restaurant with an emphasis on plant-based fare has sprouted near Brandermill.
Saladworks and Frutta Bowls opened last week in the same storefront at 14446 Hull Street Road in western Chesterfield.
The two restaurant concepts share an 1,800-square-foot space in Duckridge Landing, a relatively new commercial development on Swift Creek Reservoir.
In addition to salads, Saladworks sells sandwiches, soups, grain bowls and wraps. Frutta Bowls sells acai bowls, smoothies, protein bites and toast topped with fruit.
The local franchisees behind the Chesterfield restaurant are husband-and-wife team Eddie and Cherie Sanchez, who moved to the county from New Jersey four years ago. Eddie Sanchez said they became familiar with Saladworks and Frutta Bowls, which were founded in the Garden State, as customers.
“We would go to one or the other for lunch, and we fell in love with both concepts. They’re filling meals,” he said.
Upon moving to the Richmond area, they were inspired to franchise Saladworks because they felt there was an opening for the concept in their part of town. Sanchez said Frutta Bowls seemed like a worthwhile addition to co-locate with Saladworks to attract a broader customer demographic.
“The statistics show Saladworks is geared toward a middle and older crowd,” Sanchez said. “Frutta Bowls is definitely geared more toward the younger crowd.”
Local franchisees Cherie and Eddie Sanchez, who operate the Saladworks and Frutta Bowls that opened in a co-located space in Chesterfield.
Saladworks and Frutta Bowls are owned by WoWorks, a Florida-based company that also owns several other restaurant chains.
Saladworks was founded in 1986 and has more than 150 locations in nearly 20 states and internationally. There are more than 30 locations for Frutta Bowls, which was founded in 2016.
Sanchez said he and Cherie aim to meet demand in Chesterfield for healthier dining options with the two brands, which market themselves as healthy fast-casual spots.
“People are thinking more health-conscious and people are trying to eat healthy,” he said.
The Chesterfield restaurant has indoor seating for about 25 people, plus a patio. It features self-service ordering kiosks.
Sanchez said it cost about $600,000 to open the restaurant, including buildout, equipment and franchise fees.
While the franchisees have no active plans to open more locations of either Saladworks or Frutta Bowls in the near term, Sanchez said they would be interested in expanding their footprint one day. A retired Marine, Sanchez and his wife both formerly worked in medical device sales.
The Sanchezes’ location is currently the only Saladworks outpost in the Richmond region. Up until recently, there was a Saladworks at the Reynolds Crossing shopping center in Henrico, which is now closed, as well as a location in Short Pump that closed in early 2020. The couple’s Frutta Bowls is the first to open in the Richmond region.
The co-branded restaurant opened the day after local seafood chain Latitude Seafood opened an outpost at 14440 Hull Street Road, in the same Duckridge shopping center. Other tenants at Duckridge include Chase Bank and Maple Street Biscuit Co.
Saladworks sells salads, grain bowls and sandwiches. A new location of the restaurant chain recently opened at the Duckridge Landing center in the same storefront as a Frutta Bowls. (Photos courtesy WoWorks)
A two-in-one restaurant with an emphasis on plant-based fare has sprouted near Brandermill.
Saladworks and Frutta Bowls opened last week in the same storefront at 14446 Hull Street Road in western Chesterfield.
The two restaurant concepts share an 1,800-square-foot space in Duckridge Landing, a relatively new commercial development on Swift Creek Reservoir.
In addition to salads, Saladworks sells sandwiches, soups, grain bowls and wraps. Frutta Bowls sells acai bowls, smoothies, protein bites and toast topped with fruit.
The local franchisees behind the Chesterfield restaurant are husband-and-wife team Eddie and Cherie Sanchez, who moved to the county from New Jersey four years ago. Eddie Sanchez said they became familiar with Saladworks and Frutta Bowls, which were founded in the Garden State, as customers.
“We would go to one or the other for lunch, and we fell in love with both concepts. They’re filling meals,” he said.
Upon moving to the Richmond area, they were inspired to franchise Saladworks because they felt there was an opening for the concept in their part of town. Sanchez said Frutta Bowls seemed like a worthwhile addition to co-locate with Saladworks to attract a broader customer demographic.
“The statistics show Saladworks is geared toward a middle and older crowd,” Sanchez said. “Frutta Bowls is definitely geared more toward the younger crowd.”
Local franchisees Cherie and Eddie Sanchez, who operate the Saladworks and Frutta Bowls that opened in a co-located space in Chesterfield.
Saladworks and Frutta Bowls are owned by WoWorks, a Florida-based company that also owns several other restaurant chains.
Saladworks was founded in 1986 and has more than 150 locations in nearly 20 states and internationally. There are more than 30 locations for Frutta Bowls, which was founded in 2016.
Sanchez said he and Cherie aim to meet demand in Chesterfield for healthier dining options with the two brands, which market themselves as healthy fast-casual spots.
“People are thinking more health-conscious and people are trying to eat healthy,” he said.
The Chesterfield restaurant has indoor seating for about 25 people, plus a patio. It features self-service ordering kiosks.
Sanchez said it cost about $600,000 to open the restaurant, including buildout, equipment and franchise fees.
While the franchisees have no active plans to open more locations of either Saladworks or Frutta Bowls in the near term, Sanchez said they would be interested in expanding their footprint one day. A retired Marine, Sanchez and his wife both formerly worked in medical device sales.
The Sanchezes’ location is currently the only Saladworks outpost in the Richmond region. Up until recently, there was a Saladworks at the Reynolds Crossing shopping center in Henrico, which is now closed, as well as a location in Short Pump that closed in early 2020. The couple’s Frutta Bowls is the first to open in the Richmond region.
The co-branded restaurant opened the day after local seafood chain Latitude Seafood opened an outpost at 14440 Hull Street Road, in the same Duckridge shopping center. Other tenants at Duckridge include Chase Bank and Maple Street Biscuit Co.
How does this offering differ from Taziki’s and Cava down the street?