Buzzworthy Brands is a bi-weekly Restaurant Business podcast and feature highlighting innovative growth brands. Listen to the conversation with Green Distict co-owner Chris Furlow here.
After receiving a private-equity investment earlier this year, the team behind Green District salads is plotting its expansion. The fast-casual salad chain is looking to grow from its Louisville roots to cities like Indianapolis and Nashville. After opening in the summer of 2017, the four-unit chain is currently figuring out how to navigate consumer shifts during the pandemic, with an eye toward suburban locations as downtown office workers migrate to their home computers.
Green District is also at work on a new menu platform, adding the equipment for grain bowls to its units.
Here are five things to know about Green District:
- The brand was started by a group of friends who were into soccer, who wanted a quick-service spot for a healthy meal. They felt such a concept was hard to find in the Midwest.
- Green District has four more units confirmed in its pipeline with one slated to open next month.
- The new unit will be the chain’s largest, at about 2,000 square feet. Most stores are about 1,200 square feet. The new store will have equipment to add grain bowls and smoothies to the concept’s menu.
- Green District launched self-delivery over the summer in an attempt to avoid fees levied by third-party delivery providers. Furlow said the shift is “starting to pay off really well.”
- The pandemic “might redefine in terms of where we enter into a market,” he said. “Prior to the pandemic, we knew exactly where we were going in each market.” Now, though, that strategy is evolving, as urban workers continue to work from home.
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