Here’s another business that I’d like to see become a reality. Since I’ve been on Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Body diet, I’ve found myself eating salads all the time (oh, and I’ve gotten my weight down to 175 and kept it there for a few months… down from 210 pounds of fatness at my peak of rotundness!). The salad procurement works great when I’m at work (Amazon has great salad bars, at fantastic prices… small salad with fresh salmon only $6.55!), or in Santa Monica (California Monster Salads), but it’s pretty hard to find a great salad when you’ve worked late and are driving home. Usually, I have to settle for grocery store salads (smashed into plastic containers, made hours ago), or go without.
I know it’s hard to believe that a salad fast food store could make it — our country doesn’t seem to want that to happen. But, when I’m in the salad-making line at one of the above, it just doesn’t seem like a person is really needed to throw the stuff into the bowl and mix it up. Rather, I could pick my salad, make ingredient modifications (at the store, or via web/app), and have the container’d salad ready for me on arrival (or even better, in an Amazon Locker-like pickup system, where it’s kept cold and instantly available).
The salad store would only need an employee to keep the ingredient machines full, and clean, etc. And to handle the payment collection (or locker loading/ordering). Seems like the cost structure could be quite different than other fast food stores, and would really drive an almost always available healthy food option.
That’s it. Someone, please make it happen.
There is a spot on Madison St that is opening soon that looks like it does just this – and they deliver! The collateral outside the store has pictures of salads in what look like grande ice coffee cups with the dressing on the lid! Salad-to-go! I will let you know what it's like when they open.
Please do — can't wait to try it out!