If you think fast food is always unhealthy, Salad Nation is here to show you something new.

On Wednesday, April 12, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Salad Nation will celebrate its first anniversary with an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. This family-owned business, which is located inside the Park Place Mall, offers healthy meals that cater to different tastes and preferences, with menu offerings like chicken sandwiches, paninis, fresh salads with housemade dressings, and much more. 

“We’re family owned and operated,” said Salad Nation co-owner Omar Solorzano. “We also bring a lot of the Hispanic roots that come with Salad Nation from my dad.” 

You’ll find Hispanic-inspired flavors in the dressings and traditional soups, like Caldo de Queso, Tortilla Soup, and Mexican Noodle Soup.

“He was a little seed, and I was the one who kept trying to make this plant grow, get everything going, and then my mom jumped in,” said Solorzano. “She runs a lot of the accounting and finances, and a lot of like the color tones, the logo, everything was inspired by her. And then I’m the one who made all the gears, all of the little internal things that they couldn’t think of.”

The passion for providing healthy options has brought the family closer together and resulted in a place where they can work together and share their love for Tucson and the community.

Solorzano has a dream to grow the company and eventually have enough locations to start a fund that benefits the community. Through this fund, they plan to do as much as possible to help better schools and support children in Tucson. 

“We’re just full of gratitude. We’re full of love, and we want to keep seeing our whole community flourish.”

Solorzano and his family are also taking a bold step towards reducing their use of plastic while adopting eco-friendly practices. This is being done by shifting to biodegradable cups and paper bags instead of plastic.

So, not only are you enjoying a great meal, but you’re also supporting a business that’s prioritizing sustainability. Don’t miss the grand opening on Wednesday, April 12, where you can try their menu and celebrate their first anniversary.

Salad Nation is located at 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., space 548. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Monday – Thursday, and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday – Saturday. For more information, visit saladnationarizona.com.