The Minnesota-based salad chain Crisp & Green is planning a massive expansion in Central Florida.
According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, which spoke with CEO Steele Smiley, the chain plans nearly 20 restaurants for the I-4 corridor. They hope to open between five and eight locations in Orlando and a further eight to 12 stores in Tampa.
Smiley told the paper that a deal had already been reached with a Tampa franchisee, though he declined to share their name.
"They're professional restaurateurs who are involved in other concepts," Smiley said.
The push into central Florida is part of a nationwide expansion for the brand in 2021. The salad and grain bowl fast-casual restaurant is also planning to build in Texas, Iowa and the Dakotas. Smiley noted that the coronavirus pandemic offered a mixed blessing for franchises. While opening restaurants has become riskier, the wealth of cheap real estate post-economic downturn lowers the stakes considerably.
“Real estate has never been more open. It’s never been cheaper,” Smiley told the Business Journal.
When they open, the chain will offer a mix of salads, grain bowls, and smoothies.
This article first appeared on our sibling paper Orlando Weekly.
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This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2021.