The Big Salad scores a #smallvictory of its own as it has been recognized as one of the 2014 “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” an awards program presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.
The Big Salad will be honored at an awards ceremony during the 10th Annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business event, May 6, 2014 in East Lansing, Mich. The company is being honored for its combination of growth, technology and innovation.
There are not many dining options where healthy, budget-friendly, and convenience options converge. The Big Salad allows people to make their meal their own. Through thoughtful planning, The Big Salad chefs are equipped to prepare more than 17 million possible iceberg, romaine or spinach salad combinations for customers right at the point of purchase with a choice of 40 toppings and 30 dressings. Additionally, The Big Salad offers a plethora of fresh sandwich and soup options, as well as putting any salad into a wrap.
The Big Salad Founder and CEO.
“There’s a lot of chatter about secret menus at coffee shops, fast food restaurants and fine dining establishments,” The Big Salad Founder and CEO John Bornoty explained. “Ordering a meal doesn’t need to entail secret codes or key words. The Big Salad was built on the premise of customization – customers can come in, order what they want and how they want it and they get a healthy, reasonably priced meal designed to their tastes.”
To further ease constraints on customers’ time, The Big Salad has developed and launched an online ordering app — making eating healthy that much easier. This app is live for order placement at all restaurants.
Inventory management innovation has had a significant impact on the restaurant’s success – specifically, being able to tie an inventory system directly into a POS system. While this technology exists across the industry, The Big Salad has capitalized on it to ensure product quality.
At The Big Salad, it’s more than building a great salad, it’s about building great communities, which prompted the health conscious restaurant to launched the Small Victories campaign. The campaign promotes the achievements that are realized each and every day but often go unnoticed. Customers are invited to share their Small Victory in person at one of five locations – Ann Arbor, Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Royal Oak and Troy; on The Big Salad website; and using social media on the company’s Facebook page, or with Twitter using @BigSalad and/or the hashtag #smallvictory. These victories can include eating a healthy meal, exercising or finishing a novel.
Companies making it to the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” list are a remarkable group of second-stage companies. Defined as having 6 to 99 full-time-equivalent employees and generating $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or working capital from investors or grants, these companies form the backbone of Michigan’s economy. Representing all regions of the state and a diverse range of industries, companies such as The Big Salad are known for their exceptional entrepreneurial leadership, creation of innovation or use of innovation in creative ways, and their sustainable competitive advantage.
Winners were selected by Michigan-based judges from the banking, economic development, entrepreneurship development, and venture capital communities. Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.
Founding underwriters are: the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, PNC Bank, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, and Dynamic Edge, Inc.
Contributing Underwriters are: AARP, Comcast Business Class, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy Foundation, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Hungerford Nichols CPAs and Advisors, Michigan Credit Union League & Affiliates, Rehmann, Constant Contact, McLaren Health Care, Michigan Business Network and Varnum Attorneys at Law.
Michigan Celebrates Small Business was founded by Michigan Small Business Development Center, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, U.S. Small Business Administration – Michigan, Edward Lowe Foundation, Chris Holman – Small Business Advocate, and Small Business Association of Michigan. Information about Michigan Celebrates Small Business, can be found at www.MichiganCelebrates.biz.
Since opening its first location in 2008, The Big Salad has allowed people to make their meal their own. Through thoughtful planning, The Big Salad chefs are equipped to prepare more than 17 million possible iceberg, romaine or spinach salad combinations for customers right at the point of purchase with a choice of 40 toppings and 30 dressings. Additionally, The Big Salad offers a plethora of fresh sandwich and soup options, as well as putting any salad into a wrap. Currently, The Big Salad can be found in Ann Arbor, Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Royal Oak and Troy. The restaurant chain has plans to open 200 stores in strategically located metro areas across the country within the next 10 years. Learn more at http://www.thebigsalad.net.
