WOWorks Elevates Leaders to Drive Plant-Forward Growth

A strategic appointment

WOWorks has signaled a deliberate expansion of its leadership bench with the appointment of two veterans from the restaurant world—Joel Bulger as Chief Marketing Officer and Steve Corp as Chief Growth Officer—who will begin on September 4, 2024 and report to Kelly Roddy, the chief executive officer. The move is presented not as a simple replacement but as a strategic alignment: marketing acumen married to growth discipline, set to propel a six-brand platform toward broader national reach. With Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats in focus, the frame is an ascent grounded in intentionality rather than impulse.

Bulger's 25-year arc in restaurant marketing spans On The Border, Zaxby’s, Johnny Rockets, and Focus Brands/GoTo Foods, equipping him to drive guest traffic and menu profitability. Corp's forte lies in franchise development and sales, with roles at Dine Brands and Focus Brands/GoTo Foods, making him a natural partner for WOWorks' expansion ambitions. The appointments, effective September 4, 2024, set them alongside Kelly Roddy to energize a six-brand platform—an exercise in translating brand equity into scalable growth. The teams will test the synergy across brands like Saladworks and Barberitos as they move with purpose.

A portfolio built to endure

At the heart of WOWorks lies a platform portfolio owned by Centre Lane Partners, formed in 2020 with a mission to enable guests to live their best lives through healthier, flavorful meals and a hospitality vow to WOW—the Vow to WOW. The six brands—Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats—share a forward-looking growth plan that embraces non-traditional channels such as ghost kitchens, food trucks, and grocery retail. With roughly 400 restaurants across the United States, WOWorks stands as a platform that actively promotes franchise opportunities and ongoing innovation across its brands.

The growth philosophy centers on extending reach through non-traditional channels while refreshing core offerings across the six brands. The scale—nearly four hundred locations—offers a testing ground for cross-brand collaboration and steady, thoughtful innovation, ensuring each brand can contribute to a shared narrative of health-forward dining.

Marketing meets expansion

With this leadership move, the plan is to blend a sharpened marketing voice with disciplined growth tactics. Joel Bulger's brand-development savvy and Steve Corp's franchise-development focus combine to power a six-brand platform—Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats—as WOWorks tests non-traditional channels alongside traditional franchising. The objective is clear: translate brand equity into national scale without sacrificing flavor or hospitality.

The leadership alignment signals a more integrated growth engine—one that can nurture guest engagement, optimize menu profitability, and accelerate the pace of franchise development across the six brands. The result is a poised framework for expansion that respects the delicate balance between reach and refinement.

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Industry perspective

Industry watchers describe the moves as a meaningful enhancement to WOWorks' go-to-market engine. The Bulger–Corp pairing fuses marketing heft with expansion discipline at a moment when the plant-forward segment grows more competitive in fast-casual dining. The leadership upgrade is seen as aligning WOWorks’ brands—Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats—with a strategic push into non-traditional channels alongside traditional franchising.

This alignment is expected to sharpen customer engagement and brand momentum as the company pursues rapid nationwide growth. The leadership upgrade thus serves as a signal that multi-brand platforms can pursue scale responsibly, balancing the appetite for expansion with a refined hospitality experience.

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Lookahead and disclosures

Public disclosures confirm the hires and the start date but stop short of compensation details or other contractual terms. The growth plan remains diversified, with non-traditional channels such as ghost kitchens and grocery retail alongside ongoing refreshes across the six brands. As 2026 approaches, observers will watch how Bulger and Corp translate their experiences into measurable growth for Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, The Simple Greek, Barberitos, and Z!Eats.

Looking ahead, the leadership shift is framed as a catalyst for broader industry impact. With a more cohesive growth engine, WOWorks positions itself to influence peers in fast-casual, plant-forward dining while maintaining its hospitality promise: to WOW guests through every channel. The road is long, but the compass is clear: scale with grace, innovate without surrendering taste, and let the six brands flourish under a coordinated, multi-channel strategy.

A strategic appointment