Greenlane, the Tampa-born drive-thru salad upstart, is stepping hard on the gas. The company says it plans to add two to three new Tampa Bay locations a year and is set to open its fifth area shop in Wesley Chapel next month. The concept revolves around large, made-to-order salads, wraps and protein boxes aimed at commuters and busy families looking for a filling meal without leaving the car.
Co-founder Erica Spector Wishnow, who launched Greenlane in 2023, told Tampa Bay Business & Wealth that the company is using Tampa Bay as its proving ground. The plan is to roll out two to three new stores a year locally before jumping into another Florida city. She described the brand as an “affordable luxury” and said early sales data show a roughly even split between male and female customers.
Greenlane’s own site touts menu items built with local partners, including a salad dubbed “The Gronk.” Openings have also drawn some celebrity wattage. Axios has documented appearances by Rob Gronkowski at store debuts, a high-profile boost that has helped the brand grab attention as it plants more flags around the region. The company’s online pages list multiple active Tampa Bay locations and lean hard into portable, hand-friendly formats for drivers on the move.
Drive-thru design and site strategy
Each Greenlane site sits on roughly half an acre or less, with a building footprint of about 1,600 square feet. The drive-thru-only setup is deliberate, designed to keep labor costs tighter and service times faster. That smaller footprint opens up more potential parcels, but the insistence on a viable drive-thru layout shrinks the pool of available real estate and increases the fight for prime corners, Wishnow explained to reporters, according to Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.
A national trend for better drive-thrus
Industry observers have been tracking a broader wave of drive-thru concepts built around healthier, made-to-order menus, and Greenlane slots into that category alongside other fast-casual players experimenting with drive-thru-first formats. Restaurant Business recently noted that salads and similar offerings are carving out a growing niche in the drive-thru landscape.
For Tampa Bay diners, the Wesley Chapel opening will be the next chance to size up whether Greenlane’s mix of convenience, portion heft and pricing earns repeat visits. If site availability and unit economics keep cooperating, more company-owned drive-thrus are likely to follow across the region in the coming years.
