WILLIAMSBURG — Locals can soon head to Colonial Williamsburg for a healthy food option.
Saladworks will open this fall at 110 N. Henry Street in Merchants Square in the former location of Hair of the DoG Bottle Shop.
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Located directly behind DoG Street Pub and diagonal from Lululemon, the “quick casual”-style restaurant will offer roughly 12 signature salads as well as create-your-own salads with over 60 fresh ingredients that are prepared daily.
The menu will feature multiple proteins to choose from, including chicken, steak and tofu, as well as different cheeses. It will also offer paninis and wraps.
Owner April Coleman, along with her husband and business partner, Shaun Coleman, wanted to offer a healthy but on-the-go option for locals, tourists and college students.
As parents of three young children, Coleman said that they know how important it is for busy families to get healthy food, and to be able to get it quickly.
“If you’re on the go and you’re in between sports and school and other obligations, it’s just nice to be able to know that you have a healthy option out there,” she said.
Saladworks is also 100% peanut free, which was important to the Colemans, as their young son, Conor, has a severe peanut allergy.
“We’re a very allergen-conscious family anyway, and that’s also how our restaurant is going to be,” Coleman said. “I want people or parents with children with allergies to feel confident that our staff is going to be very highly trained to be able to keep the dangerous allergens away.”
Coleman and her husband grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where the Saladworks franchise originated.
In 1986, the first store opened at Cherry Hill Mall. Both Coleman and her husband frequented the mall while growing up.
Saladworks grew to open 12 additional locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and now operates over 100 locations in 15 states.
The Colemans’ Saladworks has been about a year in the making. What started as an idea during the pandemic has now grown into an establishment that is set to open to the community in early fall.
Construction will soon be underway on the inside of the building, and Coleman said that they will begin working on having outdoor seating available as well.
Coleman said that she is excited to become part of Williamsburg’s business community in this venture with her husband, who will continue working full-time for Colonial Williamsburg.
“We put our heart and soul into it and we hope that we can get the community to rally behind us,” Coleman said.
