Yesterday afternoon, I got a tip via The Ogle Mole Network asking if I was aware that the new Souper Salad on N. May Ave. was built backwards and, as a result, wasn’t going to open anytime soon.
I was a bit confused.
The last Souper Salad in the Metro closed over a decade ago, and if any local food chain was going to accidentally build a location backwards, I figured it would be Braum’s. Nevertheless, as a guy who likes to write about the hysterical failures and screw-ups of local businesses, I was intrigued:
“Tell me more!” I said.
The Ogle Mole then forwarded me a pic of the new Salad and Go – not Souper Salad – that’s been under construction for what seems like forever near NW 63rd and May, nestled between Red Carpet Car Wash and Cousin’s.
At that point, I got really interested.
Just like Louis, I’m actually a mild fan of Salad and Go, and I had been looking forward to the opening of this location. You see, I live about halfway between the new N. May spot and the one on NW 23rd & Penn, but generally prefer to visit the bougie mayhem of N. May over the nightmares on 23rd Street.
Because I like to be as factual as possible when I write this stuff, I asked the Mole if they knew for a fact that the place was actually built backwards, or if they simply thought it was built backwards.
I was then told that the regulars at Cousin’s – or as I call it, the Henry Hudson’s of Nichols Hills – talked to the Salad and Go people, who – while likely getting shit-faced – confirmed it was built backwards.
At that point, I had to go check it out for myself. So last night, I put on my TLO I-Team “In Your Corner” hat and drove to the location to photograph and investigate it like I was some sort of Salad and Go stalker.
Sure enough, it really does look like they built the place backwards!
For example, this is the “front” of the restaurant facing N. May. It’s basically a drab wall with a couple of commercial back doors that, in this case, are now front doors:
Here's another angle looking to the southwest from May.
Yep, that's the "front" of the place.
Here are a couple of pics of the "back." It faces a residential fence and has all the things you usually see out front, like nice signage, a carryout window, and, uhm, the street address:
When it comes to construction and architecture, I’m no Art Vandelay. In fact, I can barely build a fort for my kid out of boxes, pillows, and Nugget play couch cushions! Who knows, maybe this was intentional and part of a new Salad and Bizzaro Go concept.
Either way, I looked up other Salad and Go locations on Google Street View. This is how the front of the place should be oriented.
Serious question: how the hell do you build a restaurant backwards!? Was the construction company looking at the blueprints in a mirror? Did the architect think May Ave. was a side street or alley?
Also, how did not one of the construction workers on the job speak up and say, “Uhm, why’s the front door in the back?” or “Are we building this place backwards?”
Actually, I bet they did, but it was in Spanish, so the contractors didn’t understand them.
Anyway, I have no clue what the final fate of this backwards-facing Salad and Go is going to be. To find that out, I’ll probably have to take an investigative trip to Cousin’s!
If it is indeed built backwards – which I think is safe to assume – I bet the company will have to start over, raze the structure, and, after firing their facilities team and contractors, rebuild it from scratch.
That being said, I think they should embrace the backward theme and make it a Salad and Bizarro Go that only sells burgers.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
