Giardino Gourmet Salads (Giardino) recently opened its newest restaurant in Coral Springs in the 17 Fifty Plaza at 1750 North University Drive, Unit 109, just down the street from Broward Health.
“We live and breathe South Florida and we know that the surrounding community is going to absolutely love our salads, grain bowls, wraps, and soups,” Yesenia Fernandez says, co-owner of Giardino Coral Springs along with her husband, Francisco. “At Giardino, we go above and beyond your normal salad to a place of hand-chopped ingredients and unexpected flavors. Created in our own kitchens, our Gardner Chefs prepare an extensive variety of freshly chopped leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, proteins, dozens of different dressings, homemade deli salads, sauces, and daily baked handmade croutons. While salads are in our name, we have something to satisfy every appetite, whether you’re a vegan, looking to eat healthier, or wanting to indulge.”
Since signing the rights to open Giardino in Coral Springs, Francisco, and Yesenia Fernandez have been active brand ambassadors while their restaurant was under development. Yesenia will manage day-to-day operations at the new Giardino in Coral Springs while overseeing several other restaurant concepts they own and operate. Furthermore, the power couple will lean into Francisco’s tenure with Darden Restaurants and Burger King to help drive awareness and growth in their new endeavor.
“Now that we are open, we’re so excited to serve our community and provide our neighbors with the Nutritional Empowerment® that Giardino affords,” Francisco Fernandez says. “Because Coral Springs is and always has been a community that thrives when we work together, we’re going to do our part to also give back through the restaurant. When we learned that Giardino Gourmet Salads was interested in developing in this part of Broward County, we jumped at the opportunity to serve the best, fast, and scratch-made salads, and bowls around. There is a genuine need here for real, simple food that is handcrafted for people that are focused on nutrient-rich ingredients. From in-restaurant dining to takeout, delivery, and catering – we can do it all.”
Here’s how Giardino’s works: customers choose a base (salad, bowl, or wrap) and then can customize it with more than 60 fresh ingredients, including specialty proteins and deli salads. Each item is handcrafted to order and mixed right on the spot. Giardino also offers a rotating selection of soups, a variety of chips and snacks, and freshly baked cookies, among other items.
“There is something timeless and classic about a well-prepared salad, bowl or wrap,” Ody Lugo says, Giardino Gourmet Salads co-founder. “Almost everyone can relate because there is authenticity behind them. You see exactly what is going into your meal and we put the customer in charge of how it comes to life. We are absolutely thrilled that Yesenia and Francisco have decided to join our Giardino Gourmet Salad family of restaurants while introducing our fresh food is the first approach to the Coral Springs community.”
Giardino Gourmet Salads began with a vision in 2004 by founders Ody and Kenny Lugo, a former Miami-Dade County school teacher and Miami-Dade County firefighter, respectively. It has spread to 14 locations across South Florida and Southwest Florida.
“We are very excited about our growth this year,” Ody says. “We have recently signed deals to open several locations in Orlando and we are looking at additional growth across South Florida and up the Southwest coast of the state before the end of the year. There was a fundamental shift happening in consumer dining habits prior to 2020, which the pandemic accelerated. Giardino is fresh, fast, and relentlessly focused on customer service, which has enabled us to adapt to today’s guests. This allows our owners to take full advantage of dine-in, take-out, delivery, drive-thru, and pick-up options.”
For more information, visit giardinosalads.com.
