WOWorks Leans Into Co-Branding With Frutta Bowls

WOWorks, which operates six better-for-you restaurant brands, points to co-branding as a bright spot in its expansion efforts. In its 2025 roundup, posted Jan. 27, the company says its platform showed “strong growth and innovation” by integrating Frutta Bowls into select Saladworks and Barberitos locations. Across the platform, the company opened 10 co-branded restaurants in 2025. The results exceeded expectations, it says, and it plans to expand the Frutta Bowls concept across additional existing units in the year ahead.

“Our co-branding initiatives have proven to be a smart, scalable way to meet evolving guest preferences while strengthening our overall portfolio,” says Kelly Roddy, CEO of WOWorks. “The performance we’ve seen gives us confidence as we plan for broader expansion in the year ahead.”

In particular, WOWorks says introducing Frutta Bowls has helped address the rising demand for fresh, health-forward menu options. Results from launches this year show increased foot traffic, higher sales volume and improved average check size, driven by new and existing customers looking for expanded menu offerings.

Other 2025 highlights were the opening of 24 restaurants, including the first Frutta Bowls in Canada, and 40 new franchise agreements in markets such as Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Overall, the company has close to 240 restaurants under the brands Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina, Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Zoup! Eatery, and The Simple Greek. Dine Brands marks another company using co-branding as an expansion strategy through its dual-branded Applebee’s/IHOP units.