--- title: "Salata Salad Kitchen Signs Additional Agreement with Largest Franchisee" url: https://burnaze.com/article/601a0c63-5d7f-422b-81b9-17b81912521b source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20230908_salata_salad_kitchen_signs_additional_agreement_with_largest_franchisee.html category: "Fast casual" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Fast casual" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2023-09-08T12:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T20:31:18.344Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1497366216548-37526070297c?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Salata Salad Kitchen Signs Additional Agreement with Largest Franchisee **TL;DR:** Salata Salad Kitchen signs an agreement with multi-unit franchisee Joe Piro to develop six more restaurants in Houston, making him the largest Salata franchisee with 21 total restaurants. Salata is a fast casual salad franchise with over 90 locations in several states. *originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-09-08. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20230908_salata_salad_kitchen_signs_additional_agreement_with_largest_franchisee.html).* ## Story As a seasoned restauranteur with over 35 years of franchise experience, Piro saw the potential for Salata’s fresh and innovative business model back in 2012. Since opening multiple Salata locations, Piro’s most recent development agreement marks a significant milestone as it places him as the largest Salata franchisee with 21 total restaurants. “Salata was a natural fit for me - the business model just makes sense and the message behind the brand resonates with so many people,” said Piro. “From day one, I fell in love with Salata. The response from the community is always overwhelmingly positive upon opening a restaurant. The loyal and enthusiastic customer base we’ve built over the years is a testament to Salata’s continued success and potential for growth. From the customizable, healthy menu to the proven operational systems, I’m looking forward to opening these next six Salata restaurants.” Piro’s six new locations are strategically planned, with the first one set to begin construction this month at Valley Ranch Town Center in New Caney, TX. Additional locations are planned throughout Houston and its surrounding areas. This development agreement comes on the heels of Salata’s rapid growth across the nation on its road to 100 restaurants. With more than 15 additional openings planned for 2023, the brand is expected to reach that milestone by the end of the year. Houston-based Salata offers built-to-order salads and wraps alongside soups, teas, and lemonades, empowering guests to create their ideal meal in an accessible way. With more than 50 fresh toppings available on the menu including fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins prepared in-house daily and house-made salad dressings, Salata has established a loyal following by providing customizable options for any lifestyle. “We are thrilled to see Joe continue to bolster his ownership portfolio with our brand,” said Michele Maerz, President of Salata. “His commitment to Salata’s mission and values, along with his extensive experience in the restaurant industry has made him an invaluable asset to our brand. With Joe now becoming our largest franchisee, we are confident in his ability to bring the Salata experience to even more communities in the Houston area.” Salata has maintained its place at the leading edge of the fast casual restaurant category with tech-enabled advancements. Continually looking to evolve and find new, innovative ways to meet the needs of its guests and franchisees while staying true to its brand, Salata recently launched a systemwide restaurant “Refresh” program. Officially launching in 2022, the program guides existing franchisees in updating the brand’s legacy restaurants with a completely new look and feel, which offers the clean and fresh ambiance guests have come to associate with the salad kitchen’s menu and ingredients. The new, crisp design is as appealing to operators as it is to guests with a separate online order station, offering a quick and easy pickup option and increased operational efficiencies for franchisees and their teams. Salata Salad Kitchen is a fast casual salad franchise founded in 2005 by Berge Simonian in Houston. The brand was developed to provide quick, healthy meal options to guests. The menu features more than 50 fresh toppings and house-made dressings for guests to customize their salads and wraps so they can eat, feel and live the way they want. With no complex or intimidating ingredients, the options are simple and familiar for customers of all backgrounds. Topped with excellent customer service, the Salata experience is simple, playful and genuine. The brand began franchising in 2006 and has now expanded to more than 90 locations in Texas, Georgia, Southern California, Louisiana, and North Carolina.  ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - fast casual (topic) - houston (location) - restaurant development (topic) - Salata Salad Kitchen (company) - Michele Maerz (person) - Berge Simonian (person) - franchisee agreement (topic) --- Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20230908_salata_salad_kitchen_signs_additional_agreement_with_largest_franchisee.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/601a0c63-5d7f-422b-81b9-17b81912521b).