Golden-based Salad Collective has acquired Tokyo Joe’s, adding to its brands of fast-casual restaurants.
MAD Greens and Snappy Salads merged in 2019, creating Salad Collective.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to join forces with a great team and set up all three Collective brands for long-term success,” Darden Coors, CEO of Salad Collective, said in a statement released Monday.
The acquisition of the Japanese-Asian fast-casual brand with the motto “Eat Good, Feel Good” is a strategic purchase for Salad Collective, the company said. Coors will become CEO of Tokyo Joe’s.
The companies didn’t release the financial terms of the deal.
Larry Leith, former Tokyo Joe’s CEO, founded the business in 1996. The first restaurant was in Centennial. The company recently added poke bowls to its menu while keeping its build-your-own rice and noodle bowls, made-to-order sushi and fresh salads.
“I’m 100 percent behind Salad Collective. The synergies between our teams, the values we share and the commitment to our people and our guests all run parallel,” Leith said.
Leith and Coors said they have worked collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition. Tokyo Joe’s will eventually relocate its headquarters from the Denver Tech Center in Greenwood Village to the Golden area.
Leith plans to pursue new projects, according to the statement. The rest of Tokyo Joe’s leadership team, support staff and restaurant employees are expected to remain.
Tokyo Joe’s has 24 locations along the Front Range and three restaurants in the Phoenix area. MAD Greens has 17 of the salad restaurants in Colorado, five in Arizona and three in Texas.
There are 13 Snappy Salads restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A total of nearly 1,100 employees work for the three chains.