Southern Oregon SBDC Helps Rogue Salad Co.

In 2021, seasoned entrepreneurs Erica Ritchie and Karen Irving set out to bring fresh, healthy meal options to Medford with Rogue Salad Co. Although they had 60 years of combined business experience, they knew expert guidance would still be key to their new venture’s success, so they turned to the Southern Oregon SBDC for assistance.

The SOU SBDC helped Erica and Karen develop financial projections, a business plan, and valuable insights through market research—including research that led them to their ideal location. 

The SOU SBDC continued to assist with refining their financial plans, and by May 2023, Rogue Salad Co. opened its doors to a warm welcome from the community. The restaurant’s success quickly surpassed expectations, leading to more hires than planned and discussions about opening a second location.

Reflecting on their journey, Erica and Karen shared: “We could not be more pleased with how things turned out. We are so thankful we found the SOU SBDC. With their help, we were able to forecast, budget, plan, and successfully execute a fresh, healthy, local restaurant to nourish our community.”

To learn more about the no-cost business advising services offered statewide by the Oregon SBDC, visit https://oregonsbdc.org/service/advising/.