Chopt Creative Salad Company

What Chopt Creative Salad Company does

Chopt Creative Salad Company is a privately held fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2001 by Tony Shure and Colin McCabe in Union Square, NYC, and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY. It operates 80+ company-owned locations across 13 states (NY, CT, NJ, PA, OH, MD, VA, DC, NC, SC, GA, TN, AL), with no franchise exposure disclosed. The core product portfolio consists of hand-crafted salads, wraps, and warm bowls unified by a "Craft Your Own" customization platform, supported by kids' meals, drinks, snacks, to-go dressings, and rotating seasonal limited-time offerings. Menu engineering emphasizes premium, locally sourced ingredients (within a 400-mile radius), housemade dressings, and a roughly 75% plant-based mix.

The business is multi-channel. Consumer revenue flows through in-store dining, pickup, and delivery via the company's own website (choptsalad.com) and a native iOS/Android app. B2B revenue is generated via three proprietary services: Chopt Catering (corporate, school, and event catering for groups of 10-100+), Group Ordering (team-based collaborative ordering under a single payment with corporate invoicing), and Chopt Drop (free office delivery with building-specific ordering links and corporate stipend support). Monetization is unit-based across all channels (retail food sales, catering minimum of $50, gift cards up to $200), with the Chopt Rewards tiered loyalty program (Member, VIP, Elite) serving as a CRM layer across in-store, online, and catering orders.

Operationally, Chopt is founder-influenced (Shure and McCabe remain active as co-founders) with Nick Marsh as CEO, and is supported by a documented internal-promotion culture. The company has positioned sustainability as a brand pillar (100% compostable bowls from sugarcane, 25% GHG reduction commitment, 400-mile local sourcing) and recently unveiled its Chopt 4.0 restaurant prototype co-developed with SLR International Corporation. Chopt has raised $8.13M in disclosed venture funding as of January 2026 and remains private with no parent company.

Name

Chopt Creative Salad Company

Legal name

Chopt Creative Salad Company

Website

https://choptsalad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Chopt Creative Salad Company is a privately held, founder-led fast-casual restaurant chain operating 80+ company-owned locations across 13 Eastern U.S. states, serving customizable salads, wraps, and warm bowls to health-conscious consumers, plus corporate catering, group ordering, and office delivery through its Chopt Drop program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurant

NAICS

Caterers (722320)

akta.pro primary industry

Salad & Bowl Concepts (Grain/Protein/Healthy Bowls) (THAFABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthy/Salad/Grain Bowl QSR (THAFAAAJ)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Customizable salads
• Healthy meal options
• Corporate catering services
• Plant forward menu

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices27 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Revenue from direct food sales at Chopt restaurant locations, including salads, wraps, warm bowls, and beverages ordered by individual customers in-store or for pickup/delivery.
2. Catering Services: Catering revenue from corporate events, office lunches, school meals, and events. Orders are placed through catering.choptsalad.com and delivered to groups of 10-100+ attendees with customizable menu options.
3. Group Ordering: Revenue from group ordering where multiple individuals within an organization place orders under a single order and payment. Includes corporate invoice payment option for organizations.
4. Chopt Drop Office Delivery: Office delivery service providing individually customized meals delivered together at lunchtime, with corporate stipends available.
5. Gift Card Sales: Digital and physical gift cards sold to consumers for use at Chopt locations. Digital gift cards require Chopt Rewards account and range up to $200.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chopt Creative Salad Company operates a fast-casual restaurant chain that prepares and sells customizable hand-crafted salads, wraps, and warm grain bowls built from premium proteins, locally sourced produce, and housemade dressings. The core menu is anchored by the Craft Your Own customization platform and supplemented by signature recipes, kids' meals, seasonal limited-time offerings, and bottled to-go dressings. The company also sells gift cards and operates a tiered loyalty program, while offering catering, group ordering, and office delivery services for corporate and group customers.

Product overview

Chopt Creative Salad Company operates as a fast-casual restaurant chain offering a unified menu of hand-crafted salads, wraps, and warm bowls, all centered around its Craft Your Own customization platform. The core product portfolio consists of Salads, Wraps, and Warm Bowls, with the ability for customers to fully customize each via Craft Your Own. Supporting products include Chopt Jr. Meals for kids, Drinks, Snacks, and To-Go Dressings for at-home use. The company also offers seasonal limited-time offerings that rotate throughout the year. Beyond individual dining, Chopt provides service offerings including Catering for group events, Group Ordering for workplace teams, and Chopt Drop for office delivery. The Chopt Rewards loyalty program ties together all customer interactions across in-store, online, and catering channels with tiered point earning and redemption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chopt Rewards: The company's loyalty program that allows customers to earn points with every order, redeem rewards, and unlock status-based perks.
• Chopt Drop
• Chopt Catering

Products and services

• Salads Hand-crafted salads featuring premium proteins, artisanal toppings, and housemade dressings. Includes signature salads such as Kale Caesar, Mexican Caesar, Santa Fe, Chopt Greek, Crispy Chicken Ranch, and Sweet Apple Orchard, available for individual consumers at restaurant locations and via online/app ordering.
• Wraps Wrap-exclusive creations grilled to order with premium ingredients and housemade dressings, with an option to upgrade to a protein tortilla. Includes Chicken Caesar Wrap, Mexicali Chicken Caesar Wrap, Salmon Avocado Wrap, Hummus Crunch Wrap, Chicken Club Wrap, Chicken Tinga Wrap, and Santa Fe Wrap.
• Warm Bowls Warm grain-based bowls combining proteins with hot ingredients. Features Chicken Tinga Bowl, Mediterranean Hummus Bowl, Harvest Bowl, and Salmon Avocado Bowl.
• Craft Your Own Fully customizable meal builder allowing customers to select greens, four choppings, and dressings for salads; greens with choppings served in a tortilla for wraps; or warm grains with four choppings for bowls.
• Chopt Jr. Meals Kids meal option with choice of greens, protein, and two choppings with chips or an apple, available as salad or bowl format.
• Seasonal Limited-Time Offerings Rotating seasonal menu items featuring peak-season ingredients. Current offerings include Summer Corn Caesar Salad, Sweet Peach Burrata Bowl, and Summer Corn Caesar Wrap.
• To-Go Dressings Bottled housemade dressings sold separately for at-home use, including Basil Caesar, Basil Vinaigrette, Mexican Caesar, Creamy Caesar, Creamy Sesame, Mexican Goddess, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle, White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Buttermilk Ranch, Carrot Miso, Chopt Vinaigrette, Lemon Tahini, Yogurt Dill, Fiery Feta, Smoky Bacon Russian, Chipotle Ranch, and Honey Dijon.
• Catering Catering service for groups of 10-100+ offering Craft Your Own Salad Bars, Large Salads, Wrap Platters, and Sandwich Platters. Features customizable vegetarian, vegan, and dietary accommodations with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Available to corporate customers, schools, and event planners with a $50 minimum order and catering rewards earning 5 points per dollar.
• Group Ordering Team ordering platform allowing groups to customize meals and reorder favorites through a shared cart with one payment. Includes a pay-by-invoice option for corporate accounts.
• Chopt Drop Premier office and event delivery service providing complimentary delivery with exclusive ordering links for buildings, customizable individual meals, and corporate stipend options. Targets offices, schools, and events requiring recurring or one-time meal delivery.
• Chopt Rewards Tiered loyalty program allowing customers to earn points per dollar spent, redeem for free menu items and discounts, and unlock status-based perks including Monthly Bonus Choppings, Monthly Bonus Proteins, and Elite Express Pickup across Member, VIP, and Elite tiers.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase. Digital gift cards require Chopt Rewards membership and can be sent via email with amounts up to $200 per card.

Quantifiable outcome

• Menu is 75% plant-based, reducing carbon output by 30% compared to traditional restaurants
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wellness in the SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChopt partners with Wellness in the Schools, a nonprofit organization bringing healthy eating habits and nutrition education to NYC public schools. This partnership aligns with Chopt's 'Be Generous' core value and community engagement mission.
• Seed + MillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed + Mill is a women-owned business specializing in high-quality, organic tahini featured in Chopt's craft-made dressings. This supplier partnership supports Chopt's focus on artisan, premium ingredients.
• SIMPLicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIMPLi works with producers who use regenerative farming practices to bring sustainable, high-quality olives from Greece. SIMPLi optimizes operations to limit carbon footprint and eliminate fraudulent activity in the supply chain.
• Enzo Olive Oil CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnzo produces premium 100% estate-grown organic olive oil crafted in California's San Joaquin Valley. Featured as a supplier partner for Chopt's dressings and food preparation.
• SLR International CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChopt partnered with SLR to run diagnostics on their latest restaurant prototype designed to lower carbon impact and reduce energy consumption. SLR helped develop the new Chopt 4.0 restaurant model with energy-efficient HVAC and streamlined equipment.
• Bachan'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese BBQ sauce partner featured in Chopt's artisan ingredients section on the Our Story page.
• NY ShukminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtisan spice and condiment partner featured in Chopt's supplier ecosystem.
• Zia Hatch ChileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Mexican hatch chile pepper supplier featured as an artisan ingredient partner.
• Ithaca HummusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtisan hummus supplier featured as a Chopt ingredient partner.
• OmsomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian condiment and sauce brand featured as an artisan ingredient partner.
• Yellow Bird FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtisan condiment and sauce brand featured as an ingredient partner.
• SOMOSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtisan food brand featured as an ingredient partner in the Chopt supplier ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen is the largest publicly-traded fast-casual salad chain in the US, offering customizable salads, warm bowls, and plates with a digitally-led ordering model. It is the most direct competitor to Chopt on product, target customer (health-conscious urban professionals), and premium positioning.
• Cava: Cava is a fast-casual Mediterranean bowl, salad, and pita chain that has scaled nationally post-IPO. Comparable to Chopt through customizable bowl format, premium ingredient sourcing, strong digital/loyalty infrastructure, and overlap in the lunch-oriented, health-conscious customer segment.
• Just Salad: Just Salad is a New York-based fast-casual salad and wrap chain operating across the eastern US with a reusable bowl sustainability program. Closely comparable to Chopt on menu (salads, wraps, warm bowls), NYC roots, eastern-US geography, and sustainability positioning.
• Salad and Go: Salad and Go is a fast-casual salad and wrap chain focused on value pricing with drive-thru locations across the Southwest and expanding nationally. Comparable to Chopt in core product (salads, wraps) and customization model, though differentiated by lower price point and drive-thru format.
• Mad Greens: Mad Greens is a fast-casual salad, bowl, and wrap chain operating primarily in the Mountain West and expanding eastward. Comparable to Chopt on salad/bowl customization format and health-conscious positioning, with overlap in target customer demographics.
• CoreLife Eatery: CoreLife Eatery is a fast-casual chain focused on grain bowls, salads, and bone broth with locations across the eastern US. Directly comparable to Chopt on bowl-and-salad format, eastern-US footprint, and health-forward positioning targeting lunch customers.
• Honeygrow: Honeygrow is a fast-casual stir-fry, salad, and honeybar concept operating across the eastern US. Comparable to Chopt in customization-led menu, eastern-US geography, and tech-forward ordering experience targeting urban professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: Panera Bread is the largest fast-casual chain in the US, offering soups, salads, sandwiches, and bakery items with a national footprint and MyPanera loyalty program. Broad incumbent competing for the same lunch customers and corporate catering contracts, though with a wider menu and lower price point.
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a large fast-casual franchise with a national footprint emphasizing smoothies, wraps, and bowls with a health-conscious positioning. Comparable to Chopt through bowl/wrap format and health-forward messaging, though primarily franchise-operated and smoothie-led.

Emerging players

• Protein Bar: Protein Bar is a smaller fast-casual chain focused on bowls, salads, wraps, and smoothies with a strong protein-forward positioning. Emerging player comparable to Chopt on menu format and customization, but with a narrower footprint and more concentrated protein-led identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Chopt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chopt-creative-salad-co
• Instagraminstagram.com/choptsalad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chopt Creative Salad Company