Popular health-conscious restaurant chain known for quick, casual food coming to SC. Here’s where

Salata, a fast-casual restaurant chain where guests can customize fresh salads and wraps, is expanding into South Carolina.

Murrells Inlet-based married couple Brian and Keri Leachman plan to open three new locations in the Myrtle Beach and Greenville areas this year or next.

“You kind of can become your own artist,” said Brian Leachman. “There’s over 2 million combinations of salad with over 50 fresh toppings, so you can kind of design whatever you want.”

Since the first Salata debuted in Houston 20 years ago, the chain has opened more than 100 locations across California, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and now, South Carolina.

“I just think there’s nothing like it in South Carolina, so Keri and I feel like it’s gonna be a winner for the people of South Carolina, just like it has been in Houston,” Brian Leachman said.

How it works

With dozens of ingredients to pick from, Salata lets diners customize salads and wraps with near-endless options.

“There’s really just not many healthy lunch options,” Brian Leachman said. “Where can you go and just get a customized salad with fresh ingredients made everyday exactly the way you want it, with the toppings you want on it?”

The menu offers six leafy green bases, like spinach or arugula, for salad bowls and wraps. With more than 50 toppings, customers can load up their dish with vegetables, fruits, nuts, cheeses, meats and more.

To finish their creation, diners mix and match 13 condiment options, including jalapeno avocado, sun-dried tomato and ginger lime dressings.

Where they’ll be

The Leachmans began franchising Smoothie King in 2019, opening locations around South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. With eateries in Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island, Brian said the areas were a natural fit for the new Salata spots.

Both the Grand Strand and Greenville will get at least one Salata, but specific location plans are far from final. According to Brian, the couple is currently in potential real estate negotiations and haven’t determined in which area the third location will open.

“There’s going to be one-to-two here and then one-to-two in Greenville,” he said. “That’s our plan and then, if all goes well, we could expand with a few more locations in both markets and maybe even enter the Charleston market.”

When they’ll open

Although locations haven’t been finalized, Leachman said the first South Carolina Salata will likely be in the Myrtle Beach area and could open as soon as the third or fourth fiscal quarter this year, sometime between July and December.

“I think the first one is probably going to be in the Grand Strand just because of real estate options,” he said. “We seem to be having a little better luck with real estate in the Grand Strand than we do out in Greenville at this juncture.”

While none of the locations have an official timeline yet, Leachman said he hopes they’ll all be open by the second fiscal quarter next year, which spans April through June.

“I think just the versatility and the customization available to the guests is going to be a really awesome thing for the people of the area,” he said.

This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM.