Wedgies makes gourmet salads to go
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- Jordan and Jennifer Olsen of Wedgies, a drive-thru salad shop in Clinton.
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- The top-selling Chicken Bacon Avocado salad at Wedgies in Clinton.
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- A low-carb Eggy sandwich uses waffled egg instead of bread at Wedgies in Clinton.
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- The Good Greek Wedge features gyro-style lamb and comes with a side of hummus and pita points.
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- The Mango Berry salad at Wedgies in Clinton.
A Clinton eatery, Wedgies, is driving a "wedge" between itself and other quick-serve competitors, with quality drive-thru salads.
"We set out to build a salad shop that can be a convenient part of your life," said Jordan Olsen, who opened Wedgies in January with his wife, Jennifer Olsen. "All too often, if you want to eat a delicious healthy salad, it's a chore to stop into a restaurant, wait for a table, wait to get served, and pay a high price for the experience. Wedgies serves quick-serve gourmet quality salads, protein items and ice cream through a drive-thru or walk-up window."
Drivers can choose (and customize) from 12 different salads, including Balsamic Berry Salad, Elaine's Big Salad, Chicken Bacon Avocado or the Good Greek Wedge, all without getting out of their car. There's also an outdoor patio with tables if you choose to eat on the premises.
Wedgies' salads are made to order, with house-made dressings. "They are crafted on the spot," Jordan Olsen said. "We have fresh produce, delivered three times a week, and nothing is ever prefab or just sitting waiting to be purchased."
Olsen said the wait can be 7-10 minutes during the lunch rush, less when it's not as busy. But customers also can order in advance online.
The Wedgies name, and some of the menu ideas, came from eating Sunday dinners at the home of Jordan's mother, Sandy Olsen (who also works at Wedgies).
"She made beautiful wedge salads for us at home, and we always called them wedgies," Jordan Olsen said. "We wanted to bring some levity to the salad world. Wedgies describes our signature gourmet wedge salads, but it also is a fun way to get a chuckle out of our customers."
A classic since the 1920s, the traditional "wedge salad" is made from a head of iceberg lettuce cut into wedges. Each wedge is traditionally topped with crumbled blue cheese, chopped tomatoes and bacon. Wedge salads are a staple at high-end steakhouses.
Although many of Wedgies' salads include a wedge of iceberg, they also have other greens such as romaine and spinach, all loaded with colorful, good-for-you veggies and fruit like carrots, cucumbers, peas, avocado, cherry tomatoes, mango, berries, bell peppers, onions and broccoli. And, there's a hefty amount of protein from chicken, meat or hard-boiled eggs.
The best-seller is the Chicken Bacon Avocado Wedgie -- a crisp iceberg wedge covered in house-made buttermilk ranch dressing, resting on fresh-cut greens, along with crispy chicken, slices of avocado, hard-boiled egg and cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with an avocado ranch dressing.
Jordan Olsen's personal favorite is the Good Greek Wedgie, starring shaved gyro-style lamb.
"When we started building our menu, I knew we had to have an absolutely killer Mediterranean salad," said Jordan Olsen.
It starts with a wedge of romaine resting on spinach leaves, covered in the restaurant's homemade Greek dressing, shaved gyro style lamb, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onion, green peppers, Greek olives, pepperoncini peppers and a side of tzatziki sauce. It comes with a side of hummus and hot pita points.
"I think our hummus is a standout item," said Jordan Olsen. "Our customers rave about it. It's infused with garlic and lemon juice, topped with virgin olive oil, herbs and spices, and served with hot pita points or veggies."
One of Jennifer Olsen's favorites is the Santa Fe with Burnt Ends, featuring barbecue-style "burnt ends," combined with fresh-cut greens, tomatillo lime dressing, cotija cheese, avocado, black beans, corn, tomato, red onions, cilantro, tortilla chips and crispy jalapenos.
"It's pricier, but one of our top sellers," Jennifer Olsen said.
The Olsens also own three Subway sandwich shops, three FiiZ drink locations and a music school.
The couple met in 1997, while working at the Kaysville Subway. Jordan started there as a teen, and Jennifer to moved from Idaho to Kaysville to attend Weber State University. They got married in 2002 and went on to other careers. Then in 2019, when the Kaysville Subway came up for sale, they decided to buy it.
Olsen said Wedgies is a different concept from Subway. "But the biggest thing we gained from our Subway experience is knowing how to be in business, and understanding customers, employees and the pressures restaurants have. It's a challenging time to be in food service."
Wedgies is next door to a FiiZ, also owned by the Olsens.
"We opened the Fiiz during the pandemic, and we originally were going to lease this space out," said Jason Olsen. "But we had been thinking about this original concept, to do for the salad what the drive-thru did for other concepts. It was the perfect opportunity with this particular location."
Although over half of the sales are from salads, breakfasty "proteins" and flavored ice cream also are part of the business.
The low-carb Eggy sandwich uses waffled egg batter to hold the filling, instead of bread. An Atomic Eggy loads ham, bacon, pepper jack cheese, green pepper, red onion, fresh jalapeno, spinach and house-made sriracha between two Eggy waffles.
"I love egg sandwiches. I have done a lot with egg burritos and sandwiches, and I thought it would be great to make one without any bread," said Jordan Olsen. "When we waffle the egg, you're not getting any carbs, and you can hold it and eat it like a sandwich."
You can also get Wacos, with fillings folded into a tortilla. Parfaits with chia seeds and Greek yogurt are also menu mainstays.
Wedgies offers soft-serve ice cream, supplied by the local Farr Better Ice Cream. It can be customized to over 25 different flavors, such as Dreamsicle, pistachio cream and blueberry vanilla.
"A lot of people ask us why a salad shop would also sell ice cream," said Jordan Olsen. "We believe in 'all things in moderation.' After a protein-packed breakfast, and a lunch salad filled with fresh veggies, ice cream is a great way to treat your healthier decisions throughout the day."
In contacting Wedgies, you'll find the restaurant doesn't have a phone number.
"People can contact us via our website or via our Google business page," said Jordan Olsen. "It allows me to personally answer all questions or handle all issues our customers may have. The emails go directly to me. We usually respond within minutes of receiving messages."
IF YOU GO
Wedgies
Location: 2212 W. 1800 North, Suite B, Clinton
Contact: https://www.ilovewedgies.com
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday
Prices: $6.99-$9.99