Mike Tattersfield wants to build America’s most-loved salad company.
And he wants it to be a little quirky.
That’s the vision Tattersfield has as the newly appointed CEO of Dallas-based Salad and Go, replacing former CEO Charlie Morrison, who stepped down late last year. (Morrison was recently named CEO of Jersey Mike’s.)
Tattersfield is also an investor with a minority stake in Salad and Go, which is typically put in the quick-service category, but also competes with fast-casual brands.
Tattersfield, who was most recently president and CEO of Krispy Kreme and is a more-than-30-year veteran of the industry, sees Salad and Go as having an opportunity to disrupt in both segments.
“I think there’s a unique space in this company that it can occupy and disrupt,” he said in an interview with Restaurant Business. “You can do healthy eating that’s actually really tasty and great, and you can actually get it affordable with a model that they have. And then you can figure out how to disrupt the category in a unique way.”
Salad and Go is, indeed, unique as a drive-thru brand. Small 750-square-foot units are served by central kitchens, where much of the food prep is done. Ingredients ready for salad assembly are delivered to the “go shops,” as Tattersfield calls them, and guests can choose signature salads or build their own. The menu also includes wraps, breakfast burritos and smoothies.
Everything is made to order, and all is off-premise. There’s virtually no dine in. And it’s built for speed. Salad and Go boasts drive-thru speeds under three minutes.
The model is so efficient, the 48-ounce salads can be priced around $6 to $8, for what Tattersfield describes as a “big eat.”
With close to 150 units in Arizona, Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma, Tattersfield is looking at growth.
The chain has nearly doubled over the past two years. In 2024, sales increased 24% to $256 million, with the unit count up 7.4%, according to Technomic’s Top 500 restaurant chain data. Technomic is a sister brand of Restaurant Business.
Tattersfield would like to bring some discipline to the chain’s approach to growth with a focus on finding the best real estate. The brands competing for drive-thru properties now include coffee and other brands that go beyond traditional fast food, he said. And there’s just not that much great real estate available.
“I would like to get our right growth rate, which is a little north of 10% plus, on a yearly basis, figure that out, and don’t compromise on the real estate,” he said. “[As] a drive-thru company with a 750-square-foot box, being 30 seconds out of someone’s time or lane matters.”
Tattersfield is also working to build a culture that leans playful.
“I want to see some personality. I want things to be a little quirky,” said Tattersfield, who on his first day on the job, threw on a hat and started working the drive-thru window. He offered the first customer a free meal in exchange for that guest’s perspective of the brand and what brought them in that day.
Mike Tattersfield. | Photo courtesy of Salad and Go.
Tattersfield is throwing out ideas to the team, like maybe giving salads silly names, or offering a daily riddle, and giving guests 10% off if they solve it. Or maybe doing some kind of virtual photo wall of pets that are so often riding shotgun.
And there’s room for creativity on the menu, he said. The menu is developed by chef Daniel Patino, who was one of the founders who stayed with the brand when it was acquired by Volt Investment Holdings in 2020 (though Volt initially invested in 2016, when Salad and Go had only six units).
Patino has worked in some highly acclaimed restaurants, including The French Laundry, Daniel in New York, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Stars in San Francisco and Seattle. Before helping to launch Salad and Go, he was the executive chef of Bourbon Steak in Scottsdale.
Tattersfield said he is encouraging Patino to look at innovation and quality that will help the brand compete with fast-casual salad and bowl concepts, like, say a quesadilla salad with queso Oaxaca, for example, he said, spitballing.
“If we’re going to be known for Caesar, have the best one,” said Tattersfield. “And imagine, you’re getting that for $6. That’s incredible, right?”
Tattersfield is looking to broaden offerings, including doing more with the breakfast menu. Grain bowls are currently in test, and Tattersfield would like to do more with beverages. Salad and Go recently launched a juice line, for example, and the chain may explore doing more with coffee.
The chain has two central kitchens. The original is in Phoenix, and last year a second facility opened in Garland, Texas, which has the capacity to serve up to 500 units.
To date, Salad and Go units are company owned. Tattersfield said he is open to the notion of franchising, though there are no immediate plans.
“Franchisees can be great business partners,” he said. “I think they would see the potential of something like this.”
Fundamentally, Tattersfield said he sees an opportunity to bring a fresh, healthful salad concept into more communities. And the model is designed to do just that.
“I want greens for everyone,” he said. “I don’t want greens for just a few."