Yasmin and John David
Local restaurant is becoming national chain
By Xander Thomas
It seems that for the past few years, eating healthy has been somewhat of a challenge for busy people. Business professionals, college students, single parents and so many more have had the dilemma of how to eat quick and/or cheap but also not consume too many calories or fill their diet with too many fats.
“We know what’s going on in the food industry, we know what’s going on with nutrition, we can offer you those healthy options that are not going to be your everyday soup and salad bar,” said Salata franchise owner for the Bay Area, Yasmin David.
Salata – which loosely translated means salad — is what Yasmin refers to as a “fast casual” restaurant; it has most of the perks of a fast food restaurant, quick, cheap and easy, without the negative connotation connected with those words. A person on the go can run in, grab some food and go about a busy day, or have a nice atmosphere to sit and eat a tasty meal alone while working. Or eat with friends and still have a good time without the regret and brick-in-the-stomach feeling later.
“The way people are eating and dining is very, very different from the way they used to dine,” Yasmin said. “People don’t necessarily want fast food because of the stigma and the health concerns revolving around it, but they want something fast.”
The growing chain was born right here in Houston, Texas in 2005.
Salata co-founder, Berge Simonian owned a downtown tunnel restaurant, and he noticed that his guests were beginning to favor fresher, healthier options more and more with his ancillary offering – a side salad bar. From this, he and his brother-in-law Tony opened the first, of the now national, sensation that is known as Salata.
Salata is the only salad concept that is gluten-free certified and completely customizable. Guests choose from an array of lettuces, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, seeds, nuts, chicken, seafood and vegan proteins, and all of Salata’s dressings, soups and sauces are house-made and preservative-free. The restaurant also offers a selection of signature teas and lemonades, which are made in-store as well.
“All of our vegetables and fruits are chopped daily here in our restaurant. The protein selection is consistently fresh, lean and sourced from local farms. What sets us apart has always been our house-made dressings that are created daily in our brand new Houston-based headquarters’ commissary and shipped out to each store.
Yasmin’s husband, John, discovered Salata while at work, and according to her, he ate there every day and sometimes twice a day before convincing her to try it… but she was less than excited to go out and pay for a salad, which she thought was something that she could easily make at home. She was surprised to learn that she was wrong. “One day, on my day off, I went up and met him for lunch. We had Salata” she said. “I tried it and I was like ‘oh my gosh, this is crazy good!’” she recalled with a fondness in her voice.
Before long, the couple were looking into franchise opportunities. They chose Bay Area, initially opening only one store in 2014, and eventually realized that their territory could take on a few more. They now own four – Clear Lake, Friendswood, League City, and Pasadena – locations in the area, and two in North Houston (Kingwood & Generation Park).
Yasmin says that it is the dressings that keep people coming back, adding
“We are excited to expand our menu and dressing portfolio with the hiring of a nutritionist and chef.”
One of the things Yasmin says she loves about the company is the way it adapts to new audiences. One example of this can be seen at the League City store with the unveiling of the new logo, interior design and the first wine on tap system. “The Pinnacle Park development will soon transform into a destination Town Center for League City and we are excited to participate in creating a lifestyle for this community. We look forward to hosting happy hours for our guests to try the wine on tap. We also have a newly installed “selfie wall” that’s perfect for those ever popular Instagram moments.”
Yasmin adds, “Being a part of the community in each of our locations is key to our success. We are grateful to have always been welcomed with open arms and look forward to being active participants in our growing communities.”
