Salad and Go closes all 70 locations

Salad and Go filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 5 and said all 70 remaining restaurants would close permanently that day, ending guest service across Arizona and Nevada after a 13-year run. The company said sustained pressure on consumer demand, rising costs and earlier growth decisions left it unable to continue operating. CEO Mike Tattersfield called the closure “a painful day” in a company statement. Trade and local news reports said court filings filed the same day also showed Dutch Bros moving to buy part of the chain’s real estate footprint. ### How fast did Salad and Go fall? Salad and Go had more than 140 company-owned restaurants as recently as May 2025 before shrinking to 70 locations by August 2026, according to QSR Magazine. The chain had nearly doubled its footprint over the previous two years, then closed half its system in less than a year. (qsrmagazine.com) In September 2025, the company said it would close 41 restaurants, including all locations in Houston, Austin and San Antonio, plus some Dallas-area and Oklahoma stores. Four months later, it exited Texas and Oklahoma altogether, closing another 32 restaurants and leaving only Arizona and Nevada units open. (qsrmagazine.com) ### What did the company say pushed it into bankruptcy? Salad and Go said the filing followed “sustained pressure on consumer demand, past strategic growth challenges and rising costs,” according to the company statement reported by QSR Magazine and CNBC. Tattersfield said the business could not overcome those pressures despite strong support from customers and employees. (qsrmagazine.com) CNBC reported that the bankruptcy filing listed assets between $500 million and $1 billion and liabilities in the same range. The company told CNBC it sought protection after weakening consumer demand and higher costs worsened an already difficult operating picture. ### Where did cyclospora fit into the story? (qsrmagazine.com) A July cyclospora outbreak weakened confidence across the lettuce category even though Salad and Go was not implicated, the company said. CNBC reported that diner fears around eating lettuce worsened the chain’s existing challenges, while QSR Magazine said the outbreak weakened consumer confidence across the industry. (cnbc.com) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recorded at least 10,000 illnesses tied to the outbreak, CNBC reported, citing the agency, and Michigan health officials reported two deaths. CNBC also said Taco Bell traffic fell after the Food and Drug Administration linked some of its iceberg lettuce supply to the outbreak, while other chains selling fresh lettuce also saw pressure. (qsrmagazine.com) ### Who owned the company as it expanded and retrenched? Salad and Go was founded in Gilbert, Arizona, in 2013 and later took investment from Volt Investment, which eventually bought out founders Tony and Roushan Christofellis in 2021, CNBC reported. Under former CEO Charlie Morrison, the company pursued rapid expansion before Morrison left in late 2024. Former Krispy Kreme chief Tattersfield took over in 2025 and later oversaw dozens of closures in Texas and Oklahoma. (cnbc.com) QSR Magazine reported that the company had also built a Garland, Texas, commissary kitchen intended to support as many as 500 restaurants within a 12-hour drive. That facility reflected how far the company had built for expansion before retrenching back toward Phoenix. ### What happens to the sites now? (cnbc.com) Court documents cited by FOX 10 Phoenix show Dutch Bros agreed to purchase Salad and Go assets for $105 million. FOX 10 reported the deal includes 51 drive-thru locations in Arizona and Nevada and another 14 locations in Oklahoma and Texas, with a $10 million deposit already made and the balance due at closing. (qsrmagazine.com) FOX 10 said Dutch Bros would convert the Arizona and Nevada sites into new coffee and food locations. The next public steps are expected to come through the bankruptcy court process and any additional filings tied to the asset sale. (fox10phoenix.com)