Reinventing the salad bar

While demand for customization grows, restaurateurs and noncommercial operators alike are kicking their old salad bars to the curb—engineering new offerings, fresh packaging and customer incentives that will take their salads to the next tier.

As 46 percent of consumers say they prefer to build their own salads rather than order one from a menu, according to Technomic, here’s how some concepts are stepping up their salad game.

Shallower trays = fresher array

3 Greens Market, the latest concept from celebrated Chicago restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff, puts a premium on the salad bar, offering both hot and cold items for $9.95 a pound. Shallower-than-usual pans on the bar keep the rotation of dishes—and presumably the quality of them—high. “Rather than everything sitting in the hot wells for hours, it’s out there for ideally five, six or seven minutes,” Sodikoff told the Chicago Tribune. “When we get into the rush, we’re cooking much like we would in a restaurant setting, but instead of making individual plates we’re making portions of six.”

The new mainstream standard

The Ruby Tuesday casual-dining chain recently revealed a revamp of its signature salad bar, which now offers a selection of 70 items, more than twice its previous amount. The expanded bar—currently being tested at the chain’s Atlanta locations—includes hummus, fruit, a variety of marinated and raw vegetables and 10 new dressings that are prepped in-house.

Bonanza set its salad bar apart from the one offered by sister chain Ponderosa by taking a Chipotle-style approach. Staff, rather than customers, prepare salads from behind a line of 50-plus ingredients, fostering interaction with guests and giving a higher-end touch to the typical self-serve experience.

Paying attention to the packaging

The Just Salad build-your-own-salad concept gives guests a reason to return—and may cut its packaging costs in the process. The chain sells reusable branded salad bowls for $1, which guests can bring back to garner free cheese and other toppings during a subsequent visit. The bowls give the brand a sustainability halo as well, as Just Salad says they save 75,000 pounds of plastic annually.

Literally putting sizzle on the bar

To broaden its salad bar offerings but keep food costs in line, Yale University plans to outfit one of its bars with a grill, referred to as a “sizzle station.” By staffing that station with a chef, the school’s foodservice can keep tabs on portion control, providing higher-end protein options like shrimp, but ensuring students don’t take too generous a helping.

Delivered from the bar

A salad delivered off-site doesn’t have to have that pre-packaged feel, as the Salata fast-casual chain demonstrated with its recent packaging. Salads delivered to Chicago-area offices called to mind the freshly tossed variety, as their containers gave each ingredient its own compartment, mirroring what customers might see behind the restaurant counter.

Spotlight on the veggies

At Stanford University, vegan and veggie-centric options are given prime visibility—they’re the first items students see when entering the dining hall. These selections are placed on a 28-foot-long “performance bar,” with the aim of subtly encouraging students to eat healthier. Adding weight to the fresh, from-the-earth positioning, gardens and greenhouses are featured next to the performance bar.