The History of Salad Bars

The salad bar got its start in the middle of the 20th century. While it has its roots in the Swedish concept of the smörgåsbord, it is considered a distinctly American phenomenon. Norman Brinkler is often credited with popularizing the salad bar in America when he introduced the concept to his chain of Texan Steak & Ale restaurants in the late 1960s. However, salad bars had already been popping up across America before that time. As early as 1950, Freund's Sky Club Supper Club in Wisconsin had introduced its own take on the salad bar. A chain in Ohio called Rax Roast Beef also introduced salad bars around the same time. And in 1971, Chuck's Steakhouse of Hawaii added a salad bar, too. This move reflected a larger trend — as diners moved away from comfort food menus and sought more health-conscious fare, steakhouses needed something to offer them. Salad bars offered an inexpensive way to keep diners engaged. By the 1980s, salad bars were all the rage and were present at nearly every fast casual eatery in the United States, including chains like Ruby Tuesday. Even Wendy’s got in on the trend, opening their “SuperBar” in 1987. The popularity of salad bars lasted throughout the 1990s as they provided lighter fare for increasingly health-conscious diners while also offering the freedom and excitement of choosing their own ingredients. Over time, salad bars became less popular with eat-in diners and were more often seen as a quick "to-go" option for busy office workers on their lunchbreaks. In the 2000s, food safety became an increasing concern and diners began to shy away from salad bars. Some restaurants began offering made-to-order salads prepared by chefs behind a glass barrier, which decreased food safety and contamination concerns; many of these establishments are still around today. When the covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, salad bars disappeared almost entirely and due to contamination concerns, very few self-serve salad bars exist today.