Saladworks Announces Flavor Your World Original Recipe Contest Winner

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., July 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Saladworks, the nation's leading fast-casual create-your-own salad franchise and part of the WOWorks family of brands, announced today the winner of its Flavor Your World Original Recipe Challenge is Amy Sarli-Prelle. Building off the successful launch of its new globally inspired Flavor Your World menu, the challenge invited Saladworks Rewards members across the nation to demonstrate their originality by helping Saladworks create its next great Flavor Your World menu item with a chance to have it featured on the menu for a limited time in the form of a themed Salad, Warm Grain Bowl, and Wrap with a link to Saladworks 35^th Birthday and donation to No Kid Hungry.

Sarli-Prelle's winning Flavor Your World recipe, called Amy's Fall Fest, is a creation that includes radiatore pasta, romaine/iceberg blend, roasted turkey, smoky bacon, diced apples, diced red onions, applewood smoked gouda cheese, walnuts and apple cider vinaigrette.

Over 1,000 entries were received by Saladworks during the Call for Entries and, per the judging criteria outlined in the Official Rules, these recipe concepts were culled down to a Top 10 list. From there, Saladworks Rewards members had a chance to vote on those Top 10 recipes to help narrow it down to a list of four finalists. At this point, a Blue-Ribbon Panel of judges that included Hope Cohen of CravePhilly, Keith Rudolf, Executive Chef of the Philadelphia Phillies, Josh Moore, Philadelphia Food & Lifestyle Blogger and WOWorks' Executive Chef Katie Cavuto, deliberated over the Recipe Challenge's four finalists to select the winner and runners-up who also walked away with special prizes:

Grand Prize:  Amy's Fall Fest (Amy Sarli-Prelle, Clementon, NJ)
2^nd Place:  Dusty's Taco Sensation (Dusty Watts, Johnson City, TN)
3^rd Place: Honolulu Hawaiian Chicken (Michelle Rogovich, Cherry Hill, NJ) 
4^th Place:  Thanks, Giving & Comfort (Lyndsay Pocorobba, Langhorne, PA)

"It was truly an honor to serve alongside such an esteemed panel of celebrity judges to help select the winner of our Flavor Your World Original Recipe Challenge," said Katie Cavuto, Executive Chef of Saladworks.  "The recipe concepts from the four finalists were all very creative and any one of them could have won; however, the consensus among our judges was that Amy's Fall Fest recipe concept hit on all of our criteria and we expect these new limited-time menu items will be a huge "WOW!" for our guests."

As the Grand Prize winner, Amy will receive a $5,000 travel voucher and get a Saladworks swag bag. In addition to those prizes, Amy's recipe will be featured on the menu and will be a key component in Saladworks' fundraising efforts for No Kid Hungry, part of the WOWorks 'High Five' Challenge. For every purchase of Amy's Fall Fest, $0.35 will be donated to No Kid Hungry during the 'High Five' Challenge, which runs August 30^th ? October 17^th in commemoration of Saladworks' 35^th Birthday.

"After dining at Saladworks for the last 15 years, I'm truly honored to have my original recipe be named after me and offered on the Saladworks menu. It's even more thrilling that Amy's Fall Fest salad will raise funds for No Kid Hungry," said Amy Sarli-Prelle. "While I'm really grateful to win the Flavor Your World Original Recipe Challenge and receive a wonderful getaway, a proceed from every sale to No Kid Hungry is what it's really all about. I'm one of six kids who grew up in an urban city and know how valuable a meal can be."

"Every day Saladworks celebrates the originality of our guests through the tremendous number of ways our meals can be customized to meet their individual flavor, health, wellness, and convenience needs," said Mark Mears, Chief Marketing Officer of WOWorks. "Our Flavor Your World Original Recipe Challenge offered our Saladworks Rewards members with an exclusive opportunity to help us create our next great flavor profile that will be offered in all Saladworks restaurants this fall."

Saladworks, throughout its 35 years, has always placed a focus on guest originality through its array of over 60 fresh, flavorful and healthy ingredients. In addition to its 12 Signature recipes, Saladworks offers Create-Your-Own options -- including Salads, Warm Grain Bowls, Wraps -- as well as Soups and a Kids Works menu ? plus, new Signature Sandwiches and Panini Melts in many locations.

For more information about its menu, current offers, or to become a Saladworks Rewards member, visit www.saladworks.com or download the Saladworks Rewards app.

ABOUT SALADWORKS:
Founded in 1986, Saladworks is the nation's leading fast-casual create-your-own salad destination, with over 150 locations across 18 states and two countries. Part of the WOWorks family of brands, which also includes Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, Frutta Bowls and The Simple Greek, Saladworks encourages guests to be original, giving them the option to choose from salads, warm grain bowls or wraps, along with an endless array of fresh vegetables, fruits, proteins and delicious dressings. Ranked #7 on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers in 2021, Saladworks has been delivering the most original and incredible salad experience to guests for more than 30 years. For more information, visit www.saladworks.com.

ABOUT WOWORKS:
WOWorks was formed in 2020 with a mission to help guests pursue their passions and live their best lives by serving healthy, nutritious and flavorful meals along with first-rate hospitality. Fully owned by Centre Lane Partners, LLC, WOWorks' portfolio consists of: Saladworks, the nation's leading fast-casual salad brand; Frutta Bowls, a unique restaurant franchise serving a variety of superfood bowls, fresh fruit smoothies, protein bites and more; Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a popular Mediterranean restaurant concept; and most recently, The Simple Greek, which offers a fresh and healthy take on traditional Greek recipes in a fast-casual setting. WOWorks seeks to drive explosive growth across all of its brands through a variety of channels, both traditional and non-traditional, including ghost kitchens, food trucks, grocery retail and more.

ABOUT NO KID HUNGRY:
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could still face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.

SOURCE Saladworks