Lettuce Celebrate, Salata Expands to Texas Medical Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paula Murphy, Patterson & Murphy, 713-520-7111
Mark G Hanna, Customer First, 281-870-9994

Lettuce Celebrate!

Salata Expands Create-You-Own Salad Concept to Texas Medical Center

HOUSTON…Salata, the popular create-your-own salad concept, is scheduled to open its next Houston-area location in early 2010 in the renowned Texas Medical Center at 6620 Fannin at Dryden (77030).

The new restaurant will be a 750 square-foot to-go storefront featuring Salata’s signature ingredients bar that will be convenient to workers and visitors of the various medical institutions within the world’s largest medical center, as well as residents of the adjoining neighborhood. This is the concept’s first to-go only location, which also has four lunch-only locations in the downtown tunnel system and two locations serving lunch and dinner in the Houston suburbs.

Salata Texas Medical Center will be open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for to-go service. The location will also offer online ordering and catering.

Rather than the expected serve-yourself salad bar, Salata is staffed by salad servers who create the meal as diners direct what ingredients they want, then expertly toss the culinary invention with a choice of one of nine housemade salad dressings. The result is a custom-made salad, unique to each individual diner as he or she likes it.

Owner and Concept Developer Berge Simonian says, “I developed Salata to give diners the best possible salad. For a salad to be really good, you want the ingredients to be absolutely fresh, and the dressings have to have great flavor. We are excited to bring Salata to the Texas Medical Center, as our healthful concept is a natural fit for the area.”

At Salata, the Latin origin of the word “salad,” diners are offered a mind-boggling array of impeccably fresh salad ingredients. The base of any salad is, of course, greens. Salata has four choices on which to build individual salad masterpieces – romaine hearts, spring mix, spinach and its signature Salata mix.

After selecting the greens, diners can add any quantity of toss-ins, from salad stalwarts such as tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots, to more unique items such as sun-dried tomatoes, dried cranberries, bell peppers, chick peas, green peas, corn, red and black beans, black and green olives, chopped bacon, chopped egg, jalapenos, radishes, snow peas, celery, blueberries, strawberries, green apple sticks, grapes and mandarin oranges, to name just a few. There are also a selection of cheeses – bleu, feta, Parmesan and cheddar – and seeds and nuts, including pumpkin seeds, walnuts and shaved almonds. In all, there are nearly 50 items to choose from.

To transform the salad into a non-vegetarian entrée, Salata offers several delectable protein selections, all freshly prepared in-house daily. Freshly cooked chicken breast in four varieties – pesto, chipotle, herb-marinated and Asian BBQ – or seafood selections including baked salmon, marinated shrimp, krabmeat and seafood mix make for a hearty-yet-lean meal. As an accompaniment, Salata offers a choice of breads – sourdough, wheat, pesto and chipotle – served piping hot from the oven.

In addition to the have-it-your way salad, Salata also offers Salad Wraps. Guests create their perfect salad, and once mixed, it is wrapped up in a fresh flour tortilla, available in Cool Cucumber, Wheat, Texas BBQ, Thai Ginger and Southwest varieties.

The fast-casual eatery offers two savory soups daily – fresh vegetable and tomato basil – along with delectable brownies and assorted cookies.

Simonian says that any salad bar can assemble good ingredients, but it’s the salad dressings that make a salad stand out. “Our salad dressings are unique in flavor and are made fresh with quality ingredients.” Simonian’s business partner Tony Kyoumjian is in charge of maintaining the dressing supply, whipping up nine varieties for the “salad-teria” on a regular basis. Dressing selections include Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, Buttermilk Ranch, Classic Caesar, Honey Mustard, Ginger Lime, Chipotle Ranch, Fat-free Sun-Dried Tomato, Fat-Free Mango and Balsamic Vinaigrette. The flavorful dressings proved so popular with the diners that they are now made for purchase in 12-ounce bottles, sold at the restaurants and soon to be available on the website.

Salata’s downtown locations are at 919 Milam, 713-739-9300 (Original location); Pennzoil Place, 711 Louisiana, 713-229-0065; Allen Center, 500 Dallas, 713-739-9009; and Houston Center, 1200 McKinney, 713-739-9000. The suburban locations, which offer BYOB, are at Energy Corridor, 14515 Katy Freeway (just east of Highway 6), 281-497-3232; and Vintage Park, 130 Vintage Park Blvd. (Louetta and Highway 249), 281-826-0166.

For store hours and more information, visit www.salata.biz.