News

Giardino commits to serving only sustainable-sourced chicken

June 21, 2017

Giardino Gourmet Salads will only purchase chicken that is sustainably farmed and 100 percent all-natural and free of antibiotics and hormones.

"We are constantly working to meet the changing needs of our customers while ensuring we deliver upon the taste, quality and value they have come to expect from Giardino Gourmet Salads," founder Kenny Lugo said in a company press release. "Offering a 100 percent all-natural chicken breast that is sustainably farmed and antibiotic- and hormone-free is the next step in our evolution as one of the quickest growing salad concepts in the fast casual restaurant space. Making the change was complex and required close collaboration with new suppliers and farms, most of which are family-owned, in order to meet the needs of our customers across South Florida and the Southeast."

This announcement is the brand’s latest step in redefining the salad experience, Lugo said.

"At Giardino Gourmet Salads, we are committed to healthy, fresh high-quality salads, soups, wraps and grain bowls to keep our loyal guests coming back while encouraging new users to experience our brand," said Jaime Mitrani, a Giardino Gourmet Salads multi-unit franchisee. "At the unit level, we’re thrilled with this shift to a 100 percent all-natural, hormone free and antibiotic free chicken. Our guests can really taste the difference and our commitment to ongoing menu innovation will only continue to improve our customer experience while driving sales across our franchise network."

As Giardino Gourmet Salads continues to grow, it remains committed to simplifying operations across its franchised system, investing hundreds of hours to train and on-board team members, and remodeling its restaurants to engage customers and drive cohesion. These efforts have contributed to system-wide same store sales growth while introducing thousands to the brand, Lugo said.

"This is another major business milestone in our development as a brand," he said. "We know our customers expect the very best chicken and I’m extremely proud we were able to make this shift without passing the cost along to our guests."