Food Management: Saladworks Successfully Balances Food Quality and Accessible Price Points

Many operators are learning that restaurant-goers are willing to pay a higher price for a product if they perceive the food quality to be better than that of commodity versions.

At Saladworks, chicken is the bestselling ingredient, said Patrick Sugrue, president and chief executive. The Conshohocken, Pa.-based fresh-tossed salad concept uses all-natural chicken.

“We negotiated harder and really scrutinized the rest of the menu to find a way to take costs out without impacting food quality,” he says.

Sugrue said that not only do various menu ingredients work together to make the custom salads more flavorful, but other factors such as service and ambiance affect consumers’ attitude about the food as well. For example, the chain recently underwent a refresh that included remodeling the restaurants.

“We didn’t change anything about the food, but the feedback was that our food never tasted so good,” he said. “That speaks to the interrelationship of food quality, ambiance and service.”