Healthy fast food chain Greenlane expand to Pasco County

Greenlane, the salad-focused drive-thru chain that launched in Tampa Bay in 2023, is expanding to Pasco County.

Greenlane executives told the Tampa Bay Business Journal that they are planning two locations in Lutz, at 19099 Wingshooter Way, set to open in August, and 24823 State Road 54, slated to open in late 2025.

The chain debuted on Gandy Boulevard in Tampa and has since expanded to St. Petersburg and West Tampa near Raymond James Stadium. Greenlane is now targeting Pasco County in an effort to expand its reach in the Tampa Bay region, co-founder and CEO Erica Spector Wishnow said.

“We’re trying to connect all the different areas and points within Tampa,” she said, “so that we become more ubiquitous and people start recognizing us as your convenient, healthy choice on the go.”

An ideal Greenlane prototype is 1,200 to 1,300 square feet on a half acre, said Chris Kern, co-founder and president of Greenlane. All-in startup costs for a location are about $1.5 million, and each location employs about 15 people. Jeremy Kral, executive vice president of TSCG, represents Greenlane in its real estate negotiations.

While Tampa Bay’s retail real estate market remains competitive for tenants, Kern said Greenlane’s small footprint allows it more flexibility than other concepts.

“One of the things that we have learned, unfortunately, is the timing — timing to get permits and to get through all the approvals is definitely longer than what we expected,” he said.

Greenlane’s stores are drive-thru only, and Kern and Wishnow said they have no plans to automate any part of their kitchens. Sweetgreen, a giant in the salad chain space, has invested in robot kitchens that can make up to 500 bowls per hour.

“We make all of our dressings in-house on a daily basis, and we cook our vegetables and roast our ingredients that we need,” Kern said. “We want to keep things as fresh as possible, so we’re not looking at automation too much right now.”

Beyond Pasco County, Kern and Wishnow said they are focused on other suburban locations in the Tampa Bay area, including Lakewood Ranch and as far east as Lakeland.

“St. Pete, Brandon, Carrollwood, Trinity — we’re looking everywhere,” Kern said.

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