It was an April Fool’s joke, but also kind of true.
Just Salad changed its name earlier this week for one day to Not Just Salad, at least in social media posts.
In fact, Just Salad has been pivoting its menu to expand its non-salad offerings for some time, including warm bowls, smoothies and wraps. The New York City-based chain last month added a new menu category called Market Plates, featuring more protein-focused dishes that are a bit more “dinner friendly.”
There are three offerings:
- Chicken + Tzatziki Harvest with basmati rice, black lentils, braised chicken, parsley, pickled red cabbage, a kale-and-chickpea salad, the Greek medley (red onion, cucumber and chickpeas) and tzatziki.
- Braised Chicken + Pesto with basmati rice, black lentils, braised chicken, roasted mushrooms, parmesan, kale-and-chickpea salad and a kale-pesto vinaigrette.
- Chicken Fajita with basmati rice, black lentils, braised chicken with cilantro, fajitas with corn, pico de gallo, avocado mash and cilantro lime vinaigrette.
“These Market Plates definitely lean dinner,” said founder and CEO Nick Kenner. “It definitely speaks to a heartier occasion, which is more typically dinner.”
It’s a move that competitor Sweetgreen made last year, with the debut of new Protein Plates on the menu, which have helped build dinner sales. More recently, Sweetgreen has added fries as a side—albeit a more healthful version—further diversifying its menu.
At Just Salad, the menu evolution comes as the nearly 100-unit chain expands into more suburban markets, Kenner said. About 30 units are expected to open this year, including several with drive-thru formats.
Just Salad opened its first drive-thru last year. More are coming. | Photo courtesy of Just Salad.
The chain’s restaurants in more urban locations tend to see heavier sales at lunch, generally about 75% lunch to 25% dinner. But at suburban locations, the ratio is more 60% lunch/40% dinner.
And Just Salad recently announced a $200 million capital raise to support expansion, giving the chain a $1 billion valuation.
“This is really going to transform us into a national player, which will truly, hopefully, help us disrupt fast food in a real way on a national level,” said Kenner.
In the fast-casual segment, healthful concepts are being embraced by consumers.
Just Salad grew sales 20.5% in 2024 to $180.7 million, according to Technomic data from the Top 500 restaurant chains across the U.S. The unit count also grew 20% to 90 at the end of the year.
Primarily in the Northeast, Florida and Chicago, Just Salad will be moving into the Washington, D.C. area for the first time this year, as well as filling in existing markets, Kenner said.
The plan is to focus marketing on health and accessibility, he said.
“Our customer doesn’t just come to us for salad,” he added. “They come to us for healthy, fast, great-tasting fresh food.”
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