Just Salad Raises $200M at $1B Valuation

Just Salad scored some fresh lettuce.

The news: The healthy fast-casual restaurant raised $200M in a round led by Wellington Management, reaching a $1B valuation.

Lunch rush. Operating 90+ locations across the Northeast, Florida, and Chicagoland, Just Salad slings seasonal salads alongside wraps, protein bowls, and more.

Launching AI order customization and its first drive-thru earlier this year, it aims to make fast food healthy. Relying on high-traffic urban and residential sites to drive margins, it’ll deploy funding to reach more eaters across the country.

New order. Fast food is an American staple. But, full of cheap ingredients, regular takeout is toxic. Coming with fresh takes, better-for-you challengers are gaining.

• Sweetgreen expects to open 40 locations in ’25, half of which will be fully automated.
• Going public in 2023, Mediterranean fast-casual CAVA envisions 1K stores by 2030.
• Chipotle invested in six-store healthy bowl chain Brassica, with plans to expand.

Meanwhile, as the seed oils debate heats up, True Food Kitchen and Shake Shack 86’d them to woo wary consumers.

Punchline: Americans across all demographics are aware something’s up with our food. Making fresh meals convenient and affordable actually gives them a choice in the matter.