WOWorks unleashes tiered franchise incentives, co-branding discounts to drive growth

WOWorks, the parent company behind Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos and Zoup Eatery, has launched a three-tier franchise incentive program aimed at driving aggressive multi-unit growth across its portfolio.

WOWorks isn't the first brand to give a franchise incentive this week. Seattle-based Evergreens — a 14-unit fast-casual chain — just dangled its own "Founders Incentive" featuring tiered royalty discounts to attract its very first franchisees across 12 Western states.

While both fast-casual companies are turning to financial sweet-talk to recruit operators, their incentive structures, multi-unit perks and growth strategies differ significantly

The primary distinction between the two offers comes down to portfolio strategy and real estate flexibility.

Evergreens is leveraging its core single-concept model — made-to-order salads, wraps, and warm grain bowls operating in hoodless, 1,000-to-1,700-square-foot spaces — to entice early adopters taking a chance on a newly franchised brand.

WOWorks, on the other hand, is leaning heavily into multi-brand flexibility for its nearly 240 operating locations. Under its new initiative, franchisees committing to three or more units can mix and match concepts from WOWorks' lineup, such as pairing a Saladworks with a Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, for example.

Also, its "Buy One, Get Two" program lets operators house two distinct brands inside a single footprint to maximize dayparts and share labor costs without paying a second franchise fee.

"Restaurant development is not one-size-fits-all, and our incentive program reflects the different ways entrepreneurs want to grow," Kelly Roddy, CEO of WOWorks, said in a press release. "Whether someone is opening their first restaurant or expanding an established multi-unit portfolio, we are creating a more flexible path into the WOWorks system."

James Walker, chief growth officer of WOWorks, said co-branding lowers a key barrier to entry:

"Instead of asking franchisees to invest in an entirely separate location to diversify their offering, we can help them bring two complementary concepts together under one roof," he said in the release.

The program runs through the first quarter of 2027 and breaks down into three distinct tiers:

• Small owners (one to two locations): 50% discount on standard franchise fees at signing, plus 50% off royalty fees for the first six months.

• Medium owners (three to five locations): 50% off initial franchise fees, 50% off royalty fees for the first year, and permission to mix participating WOWorks brands within the agreement.

• Large owners (six-plus locations): 50% upfront franchise fee that is fully refunded for the first three stores (yielding a net $0 franchise fee for those units), a 50% royalty discount across all locations for year one, and full brand mix-and-match capabilities.

Cherryh Cansler is Publisher of FastCasual.com and Vice President of Connect Food. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.