Saladworks sites are set for several Atlanta suburbs as well as outlying areas, including Peachtree Center, Buckhead, Marietta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Duluth, Buford, Lawrenceville, Athens and Peachtree City. The first two locations will open in the coming year, according to a company news release.

"This agreement marks another milestone in our progress to turbo-charge our growth nationally," says John Scardapane, Saladworks founder and CEO. The company has set a goal of 1,000 stores by 2012.

Saladworks, which offers a healthy menu of fresh tossed salads and signature dressings, was established in Cherry Hill, NJ, in 1986 and began franchising in 1992. It has since grown to 92 locations in seven states and Washington, DC, posting more than $60 million in sales last year.

RAMM Alliance believes Saladworks will be a successful restaurant concept in the Atlanta area, which is already home to several national restaurant chains. Local headquarters range from the 25-year-old Hooters of America, known for chicken wings and calendar-girl waitresses, to Ted's Montana Grill, an upscale eatery co-owned by media mogul Ted Turner that features bison on the menu.

"We look forward to adding a little more southern hospitality to the region," says Dean Russell, one of three partners in RAMM Alliance with Michael Medrow and Michael McPhillips. All three are founders of UbiquiTel Inc., a wireless communications provider that was sold to Sprint Nextel in 2006.

Saladworks announced a multi-unit deal in April to put three locations in the Boston area. In February, Commerce Bank founder and former chairman Vernon Hill II became a major investor in Saladworks and now serves as chairman of its executive committee.

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