The question on many customers’ minds right now is simple but alarming: why is salad and go closing locations across multiple states after years of rapid growth? Once celebrated as a fast-casual success story offering affordable, healthy meals through a drive-thru model, Salad and Go is now undergoing a major contraction that has reshaped its national footprint.
This article explains what is happening, where closures are taking place, and why the company has chosen to scale back — using only confirmed, up-to-date facts and no speculation.
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A Brand Built on Speed, Simplicity, and Low Prices
Salad and Go was founded in Arizona with a straightforward concept: make healthy food affordable, fast, and accessible. Its drive-thru-only restaurants offered salads, wraps, breakfast burritos, soups, and drinks at prices that undercut many competitors.
The model worked. Customers embraced the convenience, especially in suburban markets. Within a few years, the company expanded rapidly beyond Arizona, opening dozens of locations across Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada. At its peak, Salad and Go operated more than 140 restaurants.
But that same speed of growth later created challenges the company could no longer ignore.
Confirmed Closures Across Texas and Oklahoma
As of January 2026, Salad and Go has officially closed all remaining restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma. This includes every Dallas–Fort Worth location as well as stores in other major metro areas that had already been reduced during earlier shutdowns.
These closures mark a complete exit from two states that once represented a significant share of the brand’s expansion strategy.
In addition to restaurant shutdowns, the company also closed its Dallas-area commissary kitchen, which supplied ingredients to regional locations. Corporate operations that had been based in Texas were relocated back to Arizona.
The closures were permanent, not temporary pauses.
Why the Company Chose to Pull Back
Leadership confirmed that the decision was driven by a strategic reassessment of the company’s operational structure.
Salad and Go expanded quickly into geographically distant markets, which increased logistical complexity. The brand relies on centralized kitchens to prepare ingredients for daily delivery to restaurants. As the distance between kitchens and stores grew, so did transportation costs, operational strain, and supply challenges.
Running a large network spread across multiple states also increased overhead and reduced flexibility. The company determined that concentrating operations closer to its core markets would allow better control over food quality, staffing, and innovation.
Rather than continue stretching resources thin, leadership chose consolidation.
Earlier Closures Set the Stage
The January 2026 shutdowns did not happen in isolation. Months earlier, Salad and Go had already closed more than 40 restaurants across Texas and Oklahoma, including all locations in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
Those earlier closures were framed as part of an effort to stabilize the business and strengthen long-term performance. At the time, leadership acknowledged that growth had outpaced infrastructure in some regions.
The final wave of closures completed that retrenchment strategy.
Where Salad and Go Is Still Operating
Despite the widespread shutdowns, Salad and Go has not gone out of business.
The company continues to operate restaurants in:
- Arizona
- Nevada
These states now form the brand’s entire operating footprint. Arizona, in particular, remains the company’s strongest market and original home base, with a dense concentration of locations and established supply systems.
Customers in these regions can expect continued service, menu availability, and ongoing operations.
Impact on Employees
The closures affected approximately 600 employees across restaurant locations and commissary operations in Texas and Oklahoma.
While the company confirmed the scale of job impacts, detailed information about severance packages, transfers, or rehiring programs has not been publicly outlined. For many workers, the closures were abrupt, leaving communities to absorb the employment loss.
Customer Experience and Quality Control
In the months leading up to the closures, internal operational concerns had surfaced related to food preparation consistency in some markets. These issues prompted supplier changes and internal reviews.
While no confirmed customer health incidents were reported, maintaining consistent quality across a wide and rapidly expanding footprint proved challenging. This reality reinforced leadership’s decision to simplify operations rather than continue aggressive expansion.
What This Means for the Fast-Casual Industry
Salad and Go’s retrenchment highlights a broader lesson within the fast-casual restaurant industry.
Rapid growth can generate excitement and brand recognition, but it also increases risk. Supply chains, staffing, training, and quality control must scale at the same pace as store openings. When they don’t, companies are often forced to pause, restructure, or retreat.
Other restaurant brands have faced similar moments in recent years, choosing fewer locations with stronger performance over sprawling but fragile networks.
Is Salad and Go Coming Back to Texas?
Leadership has stated that Texas and Oklahoma remain important markets in the long term. The company has not ruled out a future return.
However, no timelines, commitments, or reopening plans have been announced. Any future expansion would likely follow a more measured approach, supported by stronger infrastructure and localized operations.
For now, the focus remains firmly on stabilizing and strengthening existing markets.
The Bigger Picture
So, why is salad and go closing restaurants after years of growth? The answer lies in operational reality rather than sudden failure.
The company chose to step back from overextended markets, reduce complexity, and refocus on regions where it can operate more efficiently. While painful for employees and customers in affected states, the move reflects a calculated effort to preserve the brand’s long-term viability.
Whether this leaner version of Salad and Go leads to renewed growth or permanent downsizing will depend on how successfully it executes this new, more disciplined strategy.
What do you think about these closures and the future of quick, healthy drive-thru dining? Share your thoughts below and stay tuned for updates as the story continues.