Salad and Go has announced it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close all its locations, effective Wednesday. The company cited strategic growth challenges, declining consumer demand, and rising costs as primary reasons for seeking bankruptcy protection.
The situation was exacerbated by a cyclospora outbreak that has sickened over 10,000 people, leading to increased consumer fears about eating lettuce. Although Salad and Go was not directly implicated in the outbreak, the incident has negatively affected the entire industry, including other chains like Taco Bell and Chipotle, which have also seen a drop in sales due to consumer mistrust.
Founded in 2013, Salad and Go aimed to compete with Sweetgreen and expanded rapidly under previous leadership. However, after a series of strategic missteps and leadership changes, including the departure of CEO Charlie Morrison in late 2024 and the subsequent closure of numerous stores, the company has now reduced its footprint to about 70 locations in Arizona and Nevada.
The bankruptcy filing indicates that Salad and Go has assets and liabilities both valued between $500 million and $1 billion, marking a significant downturn for the once-promising chain