Better-for-you restaurant group WOWorks has opened 23 new locations so far in 2026 and has 15 more in development, putting the St. Petersburg, Florida-based company on pace for nearly 40 new stores by December 31. The expansion brings WOWorks' total footprint to nearly 240 restaurants across its six-brand portfolio: Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Barberitos, The Simple Greek, and Zoup! Eatery.
Where Units Are Landing
New openings span the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast — including Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas. The growth also marks WOWorks' first cross-border move, with a Frutta Bowls unit now open in Cambridge, Ontario. Beyond traditional retail strip centers, the company has planted flags in high-traffic non-traditional venues: two university campuses — the University of Georgia's Tate Student Center and the University of Notre Dame — and a healthcare setting at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Non-traditional foodservice channels have become an increasingly competitive front for fast-casual brands seeking captive, repeat-visit audiences, and WOWorks' push into campus and healthcare dining reflects that broader industry shift. Operators considering non-traditional venue strategies will find WOWorks' campus-and-healthcare playbook worth tracking.
Co-Branding as a Growth Engine
Nearly half of the year's openings are co-branded locations, a format WOWorks is leaning on to maximize real estate efficiency and franchisee returns. Pairings like Saladworks and Frutta Bowls, and Barberitos and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, allow two complementary menus to operate under one roof. The company has also converted several existing single-brand units by adding Frutta Bowls as a second concept — a lower-risk strategy designed to generate incremental revenue from already-proven locations without requiring a full new build-out. "We're excited to see so many of our franchisees continue to expand within the WOWorks platform," said Kelly Roddy, CEO of WOWorks. "They are doubling down on brands they already know deliver results and picking up new brands that fit within spaces they already are operating."
Market Tailwinds
The expansion arrives as consumer appetite for customizable, health-forward dining continues to strengthen across the fast-casual segment. WOWorks' portfolio is structured to capture multiple dayparts and dietary preferences — made-to-order salads and grain bowls, Mediterranean fare, and customizable Mexican — giving franchisees built-in menu flexibility and guests a wider range of visit occasions. For multi-unit franchisees evaluating better-for-you fast-casual concepts, the co-brand model also lowers the per-unit cost of entry while spreading brand risk across a proven platform. WOWorks, a subsidiary of Centre Lane Partners, is actively recruiting experienced franchisees for continued expansion. Coverage of the fast-casual segment's health-forward growth is a regular focus of Food & Beverage Magazine, a sister publication to RHFNews.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
