Midwest salad restaurant chain moves headquarters to Charlotte, eyes expansion plans

A fast-casual salad restaurant chain is moving its headquarters from the Midwest to Charlotte with big expansion plans.

And, even before The Big Salad’s first store debuts in North Carolina, employees on Lake Wylie will get a taste of the company’s wares.

After recently acquiring The Big Salad for an undisclosed price, Brent Sheena told The Charlotte Observer in a recent exclusive interview he set up the company headquarters at 13310 S. Ridge Drive in Steele Creek. Sheena, who recently sold his Viva Tracker software development company, has lived in Charlotte for nine years.

The Big Salad will also keep a corporate office in Waterford, Michigan, where the 14-year-old company was founded. The company has a few corporate employees and is hiring for operations and marketing in Charlotte, Sheena said.

The Big Salad is planning a rapid expansion of 50 stores over the next three years, which will include at least 10 in the Charlotte region, Sheena said. He hopes to have a local store open by the end of the year.

“I’m looking for franchisees in the Charlotte area,” Sheena said. “The appeal of The Big Salad concept is that fast, convenient food can be fresh and nutritious.

And before the first store debuts in Charlotte, The Big Salad menu items will be available to the 600 employees at Catawba Nuclear Station in York, S.C. Sheena recently won the contract to run the plant’s cafeteria, he said.

What to expect at The Big Salad

The Big Salad is a similar concept to Subway or Chipotle, Sheena said, where customers build their own meal.

The Big Salad has over 40 toppings, including Fritos to seasonal offerings like strawberries, crab meat and shrimp, plus 15 dressing options, most made in-house. The menu also includes wraps, sandwiches and soups.

Pickup and delivery through third-party vendors, plus catering, are available through the new website and app.

“I’m really looking to grow it through technology and marketing,” Sheena said.

More about The Big Salad

The Big Salad has six stores and two planned in Michigan, plus one in Texas. Along with finalizing plans in York, stores are planned in Cincinnati and Jackson, Mississippi. Each store has about six full- and part-time employees.

After selling his software development company, Sheena wanted to expand his fitness and health companies, which includes Jamba Juice at 5110 Park Road in Charlotte. He also recently bought Snap Fitness gym in Fort Mill, S.C., with another planned in Pineville.

Charlotte has become more health conscience, Sheena said, with a growing number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants and chains like Chop’t.

“People are trying to get healthier,” he added, “especially with the pandemic.”

This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 3:18 PM.