Ex-Honeybaked exec is new Saladworks boss

Centre Lane Partners, the New York private-equity firm that entered the casual-dining business when it bought 100+-store, Conshohocken-based Saladworks chain out of bankruptcy for nearly $17 milliion last year, has picked veteran pork executive Patrick H. Sugrue as its new boss.

Sugrue replaces Paul Steck, who had run Saladworks since 2002, and was promoting Saladworks' new "open-store" look with franchisees just last month.

Sugrue joined Saladworks after two years advising food investors like Centre Lane, following his stint at Sofina Foods, an Ontario-based deli-meats chain where he had been COO, after Sofina bought a company he used to run, Frearmans Pork (Maple Leaf Foods). Earlier, Sugrue was chief operating officer at the 400-store Honeybaced Ham Co. chain. He's also a board member at Imvestor, a Canadian company that operates pizza, steakhouse, Italian food and fried chicken/salad chains. A graduate of Bowling Green State University with an Emory MBA, he worked previously at Gallo Winery and Coca-Cola.

Steck had run SaladWorks under founder John Scardapane, who tried several times to expand the chain to the West Coast and to foreign countries. Steck survived the costly fight between Scardapane and investor Vernon Hill, the Marlton- and London-based banker, real estate investor and fast-food franchisee, that ended in bankrtupcy court with both sides agreeing to leave the company to Steck and Centre Lane..

Steck told me last fall that he was cheered by Centre Lane's promise to invest $2 million in upgrading stores and adding "quinoa, upscale cheese, organic greens, antibiotic-free poultry, natural finishes, and things more representative of farm-to-table."

At a time when Honeygrow and other investor-backed newcomers were spending premium dollars on fancy new locations, Steck said Saladworks had the experience to win "the footrace to see who can be the national brand" and the pricing power to serve customers who wanted something bigger than hamburger-chain salads but not so expensive as the new high-end salad specialists.  

Saladworks statement: The company says it "just named Patrick Sugrue the company's new President & CEO last week. Sugrue takes over the helm of a brand in the midst of revitalized growth involving a brand new store design and a new menu.

"Saladworks was founded in 1986 and began franchising in 2001, growing rapidly to 100 units by 2008. A new plan calls for a new architectural layout, design and artwork and a more technology-friendly atmosphere with free Wi-Fi and power sources.The new store design creates a more farm to table style, open concept architecture. The launch of the first restaurant redesign is taking place in Newtown, PA last month."