One Arlington resident is taking a jump from decades in the salon business to salads.

Salad Station, a restaurant specializing in customizable salads, is opening the franchise in Shops of Forest Hill. Kendall Woodard, the franchisee, hopes to open in early 2024.

The restaurant was founded in 2012 in Hammond, Louisiana. Three years later, Salad Station began franchising.

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Woodard was in the beauty industry for more than two decades but knew she wanted a change and is seizing the food service opportunity. One of her clients mentioned an experience at a soup and salad place in Texas, and the two talked about how they longed for a similar concept in Memphis.

“You know Facebook is always listening to us,” she joked. 

And the next day she saw an ad for Salad Station on her social media feed.

She clicked on it and eventually the restaurant called telling her they were actually looking for a franchisee in the Memphis area.

She had never visited the restaurant but drove to Jonesboro, Arkansas -- the closest at the time -- to try the food.

At Salad Station, guests can choose their greens and toppings. The price is by the pound.

There are also quinoa and rice bowls and a hot food station for those looking for something other than salad. Woodard said the restaurant also offers a potato bar if guests prefer a loaded baked potato.

She loved that she could choose what she wanted and that the restaurant didn't require a large staff. Soon after, she visited the corporate headquarters in Hammond and met the mother-son duo who started the restaurant.

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The two wanted to share their family’s love for farming. The founder’s grandfather started with a 20-acre farm in 1943. Today, it’s the largest strawberry farm in Louisiana. The tradition of farming combined with a fast and casual service turned into Salad Station. The restaurant honors the family’s farming legacy.

The Germantown location will be in a 2,000-square-foot space that Spartan Safe formerly occupied.

This is the second Salad Station in Tennessee following one in Clarksville. Flowood and Hattiesburg, Mississippi also have Salad Stations.