Reporting checked October 19, 2026.
Former Salad and Go drive-thrus are at the center of two different stories. Other brands are pursuing the locations, while a team that includes original co-founder Daniel Patiño plans to bring Salad and Go itself back to Arizona.
For East Valley residents, that means coffee and drink chains at some familiar addresses, a new salad option at another, and a possible Gilbert return for the original brand. The useful question is no longer just who wants each site. It is which step each deal has reached—and when customers can actually order there.
Here is what the reporting establishes so far, including the important difference between a location transfer and the separate purchase of the Salad and Go name.
7 Brew's big deal includes a 12-site East Valley subset
The largest transaction covers 63 former restaurant leases across four states. In its September 29 announcement, Salad and Go's legal counsel, Reed Smith, said the bankruptcy court approved 7 Brew's winning bid of about $123.5 million. Arizona accounts for 36 of those locations; the rest are in Texas, Nevada and Oklahoma. That price concerns the lease package, not the Salad and Go brand.
Mouth by Southwest’s October 6 address list identifies 30 Valley sites in that package. Counting Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe and San Tan Valley produces this 12-location subset:
- Mesa: four
- Gilbert: three
- Chandler: two
- Tempe: two
- San Tan Valley: one
Here, “East Valley” means those five communities. The count excludes Scottsdale and Phoenix, including Ahwatukee.
KTAR’s October 15 update scheduled 7 Brew's closing for October 27; that is not an opening date.
What about Main Street in Mesa?
Mouth by Southwest reported 7 Brew at 5335 E. Main St. in a separate auction. It is outside the 12-site group; its final assignment remains unverified.
Swig in Queen Creek, Dutch Bros in Chandler
The updated KTAR list names Swig at 21429 S. Ellsworth Road and 90 W. Ocotillo Road in Queen Creek. It lists eight Valley sites for Swig, plus Tucson.
For Dutch Bros, the address to watch is 4965 S. Arizona Ave. in Chandler.
Just Salad has a Gilbert address on the later list
KTAR’s updated reporting lists three Just Salad sites: 5218 E. Baseline Road in Gilbert, 719 E. Bethany Home Road in Phoenix and 16885 W. Bell Road in Surprise.
Mouth by Southwest described the move as the chain's Phoenix-area debut. Just Salad is a separate company from Salad and Go. Its official company page describes a menu of salads, bowls, wraps, soups and smoothies, alongside a reusable-bowl program. That offers a different prospect for these sites than a coffee or specialty-drink conversion.
The $180,000 twist is a brand purchase
The smaller dollar figure belongs to a different transaction. Mouth by Southwest reported that Beyond Salt and Pepper, associated with Patiño, bid $180,000 for Salad and Go's intellectual property, including its name and recipes. That amount did not purchase the entire former restaurant network. It also reported $1 bids for two leases; bids are not finalized transfers.
In an October 14 announcement, Hospitality First Concepts' Mike Myers named partner Tom Misitano and Patiño as the team behind the return. The announcement said they had acquired the intellectual property and rights to operate and expand across North America, with plans to reopen several Arizona locations.
For Gilbert, the timing comes from Patiño’s direct interview with FOX 10: he hopes to open at Williams Field and Higley before the end of 2026. That is a year-end target, not a confirmed opening date. Patiño discussed Gilbert and Mesa as the initial reopening cities.
KTAR names 3299 E. Williams Field Road in Gilbert and puts the Mesa lease at 1040 W. Southern Ave. before an October 20 hearing.
What to watch before making a trip
Think of this as a developing address guide, not an opening calendar. A court-approved bid, a completed lease transfer, construction at a property and the first day of service are separate milestones. An address appearing on a buyer list answers one question; it does not answer all four.
As of this check, Salad and Go’s own website still carries its August 5 closure notice. It is not yet a reopening schedule. The reporting reviewed here does not provide firm conversion dates for the named replacement-brand sites.
If you are watching a particular location, look for an announcement that names both the street address and the opening date. A new sign will be an encouraging clue, but an official location listing or dated opening announcement is the more useful check before driving over.
The East Valley takeaway is that a familiar drive-thru footprint may end up serving a very different daily stop. Meanwhile, the Gilbert plan raises a separate question: whether the original Salad and Go can win back its place in the lunch routine.
For another local restaurant project to follow, see our Switchyard update in Queen Creek.
Illustrations: East Valley Explorer. Brand logos identify the companies discussed; the graphics are not photographs of completed conversions.
