St. Petersburg restaurant holding company makes two acquisitions

WOWorks, a St. Petersburg-based restaurant holding whose brands include Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and The Simple Greek, has acquired Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery.

Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina is a Southwestern fast-casual burrito, taco, bowl and salad concept that allows guests to customize their order with their choice of proteins and toppings. Founded in 2000 and based in Athens, Georgia, the brand has 50 franchise-owned restaurants and four company-owned locations located primarily in the Southeast. 

Zoup! Eatery is a fast-casual concept centered around best-in-class soups, broth bowls, salads and sandwiches. It offers 12 rotating daily soups as part of an innovative menu that offers delicious, nutrient-dense food crafted from clean label ingredients. Founded in 1998 and based in Southfield, Michigan, Zoup! Eatery has 67 franchise-owned restaurants and one corporate-owned location.

“Today, we welcome both Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina and Zoup! Eatery to the WOWorks family,” WOWorks CEO Kelly Roddy states in a news release. “These brands share our overall goal to grow into one of the largest plant-forward, good-for-you companies in the restaurant sector.”

As a result of these acquisitions, the release states, WOWorks now has six brands and will end the year with 400-plus restaurants while creating more than 10,000 job opportunities in the restaurant industry.