He Turned A Small Store Into One of America's Fastest-Growing Salad Chains Valued at $1 Billion

Nick Kenner, Founder and CEO of Just Salad, is reshaping fast casual dining with a focus on sustainability and smart growth. His mission-driven approach has taken the brand from one Manhattan shop to more than 100 locations nationwide. Watch now to learn about scaling Just Salad from one small Manhattan shop to 100 locations, the lessons behind sustainable operations, and what it takes to build a brand with purpose. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Chapters: [04:45] - The Salad Epiphany [10:35] - Learning Operations the Hard Way [16:05] - Scaling Beyond New York [18:25] - The First Drive-Thru [29:45] - Rethinking Waste and Sustainability SPONSORS: RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST — Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. • Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Episode Links Nick Kenner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-kenner-a31abb5a Just Salad: https://order.justsalad.com/ Just Salad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/just-salad/ Just Salad Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justsalad/ Just Salad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justsalad Just Salad FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/justsalad Just Salad X: https://x.com/justsalad Key Takeaways: Turning an Observation into Opportunity: While working in finance, Nick Kenner noticed that everyone in his office was ordering salads. That simple realization sparked the idea for Just Salad, now one of the country’s fastest-growing fast-casual brands. Sustainability Can Scale: What started with frustration over plastic waste led to the creation of Just Salad’s reusable bowl program. The idea began as a simple fix and grew into a defining part of the company’s identity. Growth Requires Grit and Structure: Kenner’s early years were filled with long days and operational struggles, but hiring smart, building systems, and focusing on fundamentals helped Just Salad grow from a single New York shop to a thriving national brand. *** ABOUT NICK KENNER — Nick Kenner is the Founder and CEO of Just Salad, the fast-casual brand on a mission to make everyday health and sustainability possible. Since opening the first 900-square-foot shop in Manhattan in 2006, Kenner has grown the company to nearly 100 locations and recently led a $200 million funding round valuing Just Salad at $1 billion. Under his leadership, the brand has expanded nationally, opened its first drive-thru, launched Salad AI for personalized ordering, and introduced carbon-labeled menus. ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS — Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online. Published by Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com Produced by Cali BBQ Media - https://betheshow.media