Franchise Marketing Radio: John Mike Heroman from Salad Station Speaks on the Brand’s Franchise Development

Founded in 2012, Heroman from Salad Station Franchise Development reported to Franchise Marketing Radio that they decided to start franchising two and a half years ago, where they were able to grow from 7 to 24 stores now. The brand has “continued the legacy of the founders Scott and Cindy Henderson’’s deep passion for farming, fresh ingredients, and family”, says Heroman.

**When asked who the ideal franchisee would be, Heroman stated being a local resident gives them a big advantage as they’re already intertwined with the community. He goes on to say, “What we’re really looking for is good-hearted people, that want to work hard, serve their community and do what’s right by providing a healthy option to their community”. He explained on the radio segment that he grew up with the family and when Scott would come home from school, he’d go right to working for the family business.

“It’s really unique that they’re still working together so you feel that presence and family priority valued in our stores by our franchisees and hopefully by our customers”, Heroman says.

The brand’s self-serve, pay-by-the-pound business model benefits customers by reducing waste while also supporting franchise partners by making it a low-cost labor model. With over 100 toppings and a hot bar, Franchise Marketing Radio states the Salad Station offers triple the choices of their competition. In addition to the brand’s efficiency, they also launched automated salad-building machines with touch screen customization, called SALLY’s.

According to the segment, Salad Station also provides support for their franchisees by providing family-friendly hours. Heroman admits he feels “very fortunate as both himself and the executives have had experience in the franchise industry and the family has done a great job on communicating expectations while providing support needed in order to real their goals. From a franchisee standpoint, most do not have restaurant past experience and become very successful franchisees.”