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Key Takeaways While working in finance, Nick Kenner noticed that everyone in his office was ordering salads.
That simple realization sparked the idea for Just Salad, now one of the country’s fastest-growing fast-casual brands.
Kenner’s early years were filled with long days and operational struggles, but hiring smart, building systems and focusing on fundamentals helped Just Salad grow from a single shop to a national brand.
Nick Kenner didn’t set out to reinvent lunch.
He was working in finance, learning quickly and genuinely liked the work. But he started to feel that pull, the thought that maybe he could build something of his own.
In New York City, ordering lunch out for the office was a daily ritual. Kenner began noticing what people in his office were ordering.
“I’d look around, and every day it was the same thing,” he says. “Different ages, different backgrounds, different job titles. It didn’t matter who they were or what they did. Everyone was ordering salads.”
Related: His Restaurants Won Awards — Then His Next Business Changed the Industry
That was the lightbulb moment for Just Salad, which is now valued at $1 billion.
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