Saladworks’ New Executive Chef Injects Fresh Ideas and New Flavors into the 30-Year-Old Brand

As any established brand knows well, the key to longevity is maintaining the core attributes customers fell in love with, while at the same time, intertwining updates and enhancements to remain relevant as tastes and trends evolve.

That’s exactly what Saladworks decided to do earlier this year when CEO Patrick Sugrue assembled an elite team to inject fresh ideas into the 30-year-old brand. And perhaps the most vital member to that team is Andy Revella, Saladworks’ recently-hired executive chef.

Tasked with revitalizing the main menu item that makes Saladworks what it is, Revella came on board in the summer of 2016. His goal was to impart his passion for healthy eating and bold flavors to help Saladworks deliver exactly what today’s consumer want in food—convenience, nutrition and flavor.

“This is a brand that’s been a leader in the salad segment for decades. But all of a sudden, consumers’ tastes changed. People wanted something new to put on their salads—seasonal produce, quality protein and unique grains. They want more than just ordinary vegetables,” Revella said. “My job was to look at Saladworks’ whole menu from the top to the bottom. What does the consumer want? The answer, I found, was quite simple—people want to know what they’re eating, they want to eat healthfully and they want variety.”

Revella brings with him more than 40 years of experience in the foodservice industry. Prior to his European culinary education, he worked in restaurants all through high school in New York City. From a chef’s assistant to short order cook and more, Revella has lived in kitchens his whole life.

After owning several independent restaurants as a young entrepreneur, Revella made the shift to bigger companies. He was responsible for the menu development and operations for some of the most well-known and respected restaurants in the country, including Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale, BB Kings and the Rain Forest Café. Then, while serving as the vice president of food and beverage for Harrah’s, Revella developed over nine core branded concepts resulting in over 45 new restaurants.

Looking to try something new and different in the industry, Revella turned to Saladworks—a brand that he believed was perfectly positioned to accommodate the future of healthy quick-service eating.

“When I first met with Pat Sugrue, I told him that Saladworks is the most on target, on-time concept that I’ve encountered in the past few years,” Revella said. “I was one of the founding member of the Rain Forest Café. It was a great project, but it’s a concept that wanes over time once the initial excitement settles. Saladworks is different. This is a brand with a 30-year history, and it’s clear that the next 30 years for this brand will be even more exciting.”

Revella’s job started with dissecting Saladworks’ entire menu. From determining where products are sourced to identifying the seasonality of produce, no detail went unnoticed. New LTOs were designed to showcase bold flavors and the best in-season produce.

For example, this fall, the brand unveiled the new Autumn Apple & Savory Pork Salad, which features jerk seasoned pork, crisp Granny Smith apples and a homemade pumpkin vinaigrette as the main stars of the dish. Even the way toppings are prepared—like taking the time to expertly grill never-frozen pork until flame-kissed and tender—were enhanced to show off Revella’s careful attention to detail.

"In addition to adding new and complex flavors, I'll also be putting a focus on seasonal ingredients by incorporating special additions to the menu during the time of year that product is most-ripe, such as using apples during the fall harvest," he said. "The breadth of ingredients that the Saladworks concept currently has, and the opportunities for new additions, tells customers that this isn’t just a salad. This is eating right. And it’s eating delicious.”

All of these menu changes were introduced to enhance what already makes Saladworks so unique, Revella said. At its core, the brand has always been known for its fresh products, unparalleled variety and on-the-go convenience—and that’s something people will always crave when it comes to eating out. But now, with the help of a new and innovative menu, Revella is confident that Saladworks is poised for even greater things in the years to come.

“There are few concepts that can boast the kind of customer loyalty that Saladworks can. That shows a real strength in its foundation. I think that with these new menu changes, Saladworks will evolve into an even more incredible and on-target concept,” Revella said. “There’s a lot of excitement here about what Saladworks can do and where we can go. And I think that with these continued menu enhancements, we’re adding more value to the consumer and to the prospective franchisee than ever before.”