The story of a growing, Midwestern salad chain

Can a salad chain thrive in the ever-changing world of healthy eating?Steele Smiley is betting on it. The founder and executive chairman of the Minneapolis-based salad chain Crisp & Green joins the Restaurant Business podcast to talk about his brand’s strategies. Crisp & Green has 52 locations and dozens more under development in the U.S. Smiley talks about the brand’s founding, and how he never envisioned becoming a restaurant operator. Smiley started the chain after a career in the fitness industry and he talks about the learning curve that comes with running a restaurant. We also talk about the changing demands of what is considered healthy and how a salad chain can compete in a world of protein. We discuss the company’s recent introduction of sandwiches and its supply chain as well as the brand’s future plans. We’re talking with another growth chain on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.