Just Salad Tosses in AI & Personalization Street Fight

Just Salad Tosses in AI & Personalization

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We know that consumers are okay with personalization and targeting, providing it adds value to their lives and saves them time. A whopping 64 percent of consumers report liking custom-tailored experiences.

Just Salad was founded in 2006 and now has more than 90 locations. I remember being excited when the fast-casual chain opened in New York and became my company’s staple of lunchtime fare. We loved the fact that each employee could personalize their own salad from our laptops. Back then, that was considered tech innovation.

Fast-forward 19 years.

Just Salad announced this week that they are adding the next level of AI-powered personalization with what they call its “Salad AI Recipe Generator.”

Based on lifestyle, nutrition, and flavor preferences, the mobile-based app suggests salad combinations that the user might enjoy. According to the company’s press announcement, here is how Just Salad categorizes each preference:

  • Lifestyle Preferences: Including options for vegan, climatarian, and dietary restrictions
  • Nutritional Goals: Ranging from high-protein to low-carb and low-sugar choices
  • Taste: Capturing individual flavor profiles from sweet to spicy and savory to crunchy

Just as our parents often encouraged us to try new tastes when we were kids, this AI salad sherpa prompts consumers to experiment with new options.

The innovation builds on the brand’s mission: to encourage people to “Eat with Purpose,” Just Salad is a Certified B Corporation.™  They report having the world’s largest restaurant reusable program and the first U.S. restaurant chain to carbon label its menu.

You can eat the same old lettuce, tomato, protein, and dressing combo each week, or you can trust artificial intelligence to tickle your taste buds and toss (a little salad pun there) you out of your comfort zone.

Just Salad is clearly more than just salad these days!

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Nancy A Shenker, Chief Trend Officer with Street Fight, is a former big brand (Citibank, Mastercard, Reed Exhibitions) marketing strategist and leader. She has been featured in Inc.com, the New York Times and Forbes.