Clayton Farms Salads, a fast-casual concept known for growing its produce on-site, is getting ready to expand into San Francisco.
The company has not yet finalized an address for its first Bay Area location, according to co-founder Clayton Mooney. The company’s upcoming San Francisco outpost will be its first in California. Although an exact opening date has not yet been announced, the team is currently scouting potential sites, saying they are “focused on high walkability score locations and do not expect to offer a drive-through.” When they find the right site and eventually open, customers can expect freshly harvested greens, salads, wraps, smoothies, and a drive-thru or pickup-focused format.
Clayton Farms Salads operates a single location in Ames, Iowa, where it grows all of its leafy greens just 15 feet from the kitchen. Founded to make fast food healthier, the restaurant utilizes indoor farming methods to deliver produce daily, eliminating the need for long-haul trucking or third-party distribution. Since its launch, the company has served over 100,000 meals.
The restaurant’s on-site farm allows the team to harvest greens each morning and serve them the same day. The process has helped the company save over 300,000 gallons of water and eliminate the need for warehouses or storage. The San Francisco expansion reflects a broader push to bring the model to urban markets where demand for fresh, quick, and healthy food continues to grow.
The menu features options such as the Crunchy Asian Salad, Harvest Salad, Chicken Pesto Panini, and a variety of smoothies, including the Green Machine and Berry Blast. Vegan and vegetarian offerings are also available.
Mooney and co-founder Danen Pool are leading the expansion, emphasizing that the team farms seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Guests at the future San Francisco location will be able to see the greens growing just outside the kitchen window.
