Greenfood Group’s AI-powered salad bar concept capitalises on rising consumer demand for fresh, healthy, and customisable meals
Swedish-owned Picadeli says it has opened 100 new tech-enabled salad bars in Finland over the past two years, bringing the total number to more than 350.
According to the company, which is part of Greenfood Group, interest in healthy convenience food continues to grow in Finland, thanks to rising demand for fresh, healthy meals that consumers can tailor to their own taste and appetite.
“This is more than just a milestone for us,” says Kaisa Väistö-Nurminen, managing director of Picadeli Finland. “In less than two years, we have grown from 250 to 350 salad bars. It shows that healthy fast food can truly be scaled, not only in Helsinki or the largest cities, but across Finland.”
“We build restaurants without restaurants”
Picadeli made its debut in the country in 2013, since when it has developed into a nationwide network of salad bars housed within some of the country’s largest retailers, as well as in other locations where Finns buy food as part of their everyday lives.
Väistö-Nurminen suggests that expansion reflects a continued blurring of the line between grocery retail and restaurants.
As a result of that trend, she says, consumers increasingly want to be able to buy a ready-made meal where they already shop, without having to choose between speed, price, and health.
At the same time, Picadeli has built a strong brand around choice, taste and a more appealing way to eat healthy.
”Competition for lunch is no longer just about which restaurant you go to,” she comments. “Grocery stores have become an increasingly important destination for ready-made meals. Picadeli fits very well into that shift: you can walk in, build exactly the meal you want and be on your way again within minutes.”
Clear advantages
Because they can be located within existing stores, Picadeli offers a way for retailers to offer their customers new meal concepts in small spaces, using their existing staff and infrastructure.
“We build restaurants without restaurants,” says Väistö-Nurminen. “It is a fairly simple idea, but also an important reason why we can grow so quickly together with our customers.”
Behind the expansion is a technology platform that enables hundreds of salad bars to operate as one connected network.
Picadeli began using AI and machine learning in its operations as early as 2021, long before the technology became part of everyday conversation.
Every Picadeli salad bar is connected. The company’s proprietary platform uses sales history, inventory levels, assortment data, and external factors such as weather to forecast demand, optimise orders and reduce food waste.
The technology is also used to monitor areas such as temperature and food safety.
“When we grow from 250 to 350 locations, the challenge is not simply to open more salad bars,” Väistö-Nurminen explains. “Every one of them needs to perform well every day. That is where technology becomes crucial – it helps us and our retail partners make better decisions at every individual point of sale.”
International growth
What’s happening with Picadeli in Finland appears to be part of a broader international expansion.
Today, the company has around 2,600 salad bars across Europe and the US, and claims to serve more than 70mn meals every year.
With a strong position in the Nordic countries, it has also reported continued growth in markets such as France and Germany, while it has also established a footing in 27 US states.
The rapid growth in Finland shows what is possible when a strong consumer brand is combined with technology, retail partnerships and a scalable model,” says David von Laskowski, CEO and president of Picadeli and Greenfood Group.
“We have come a long way, but the potential is significantly greater. Our ambition is to keep bringing Picadeli to more consumers, more retailers, and more markets.”
