Change is on the menu for Wayzata-based salad chain Crisp & Green. Founder Steele Smiley is back in the CEO role two years after stepping away. He’s buying up franchise locations to regain consistency as he plans to move the restaurants beyond salads.

“The real opportunity in the fast casual space isn’t just more salads—it’s creating better access to health-forward food all day long, in a way that feels elevated, energizing, and approachable,” Smiley said in an email interview this week. “We’re evolving into a versatile lifestyle brand rooted in wellness, crave-ability, and convenience…with a menu that reflects how people actually live, eat, and fuel their day—whether it’s a post-workout smoothing, a hearty grain bowl, or a quick nourishing dinner to take home.”

Crisp & Green is getting ready to introduce a new menu, modernized store design, updated uniforms and a new marketing approach, Smiley said. These public facing changes are the culmination of eight months of behind-the-scenes restructuring, which included several leadership changes and the company buying back many of its franchise stores with a goal of becoming a majority corporate owned brand. Currently, there are 46 Crisp & Green stores around the country and around half are corporately owned. The move, Crisp & Green said in a recent statement, was “prompted by a desire to regain brand consistency and operational control.”

Managing individual franchisees can be “like herding cats,” said Brian Schnell, a partner with Faegre Drinker in Minneapolis who specializes in franchise law. “Operating any restaurant is challenging in this environment, but when you have franchisees with different skill sets, different levels of investment, it’s challenging for a franchisor.”

Growth capital for the buyback—in the “8 figure” range, according to Forbes—came from a friends and family round, which Smiley described as a “passionate group of trusted supporters who believe deeply in our vision.” Smiley’s group maintains majority control of the business. “This allows us to remain agile innovative, and mission driven as we continue to differentiate ourselves in an increasingly competitive landscape.”

Crisp & Green, founded in 2016, is part of Smiley’s Steele Brands holding company, which also includes Puralima, a fast-casual concept launched in 2023 serving tacos, burritos and bowls. Its three Twin Cities locations replaced Stalk & Spade, a plant-based burger brand that Smiley closed after two years.

Crisp & Green, Smiley said, is on a winning streak, with six consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth. He told Forbes some franchises were earning $3 million a year.

That success is likely a factor in the decision to shift to corporate ownership, said Jonathan Maze, franchising expert and editor in chief of St. Paul-based Restaurant Business Magazine. “The more profitable it is to run restaurants at the store level, the more likely the company is to just run the restaurants themselves,” Maze, explained. “I will always have more faith in the company that wants to operate more of its own restaurants. It’s a sign of faith in the brand.”

But Smiley is keen to continue working for enterprise-level franchisees. Two groups with large portfolios plan to open 37 Crisp & Green locations over the next two years, the company said. They are the Chicago-area OM Group, which operates more than 50 Dunkin locations and 15 Wing Stop shops, and M3 Holdings, which has experience in restaurants and wellness, including the Planet Fitness brand.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to a balanced growth model that includes franchised markets, shared markets, and corporate markets,” Smiley said. “Each plays a strategic role in accelerating our expansion”

Smiley said his next goal it to reach 100 Crisp & Green restaurants.

Listen: Steele Smiley traced his entrepreneurial journey, from fitness to restaurants, on a 2021 episode of TCB podcast By All Means.