October 06, 2026

Swig, Dutch Bros and 7 Brew Snap Up Closed Salad and Go Drive-Thrus Across the Valley

By Juan Grimaldo, The Grimaldo Group | October 2026

Remember those tiny Salad and Go drive-thrus that closed overnight in August? They're about to get new owners. In a September 30 auction, the bankrupt Gilbert-born chain sold off 34 more locations, and some familiar drive-thru brands, plus a few new ones, are moving in.

What happened

Salad and Go filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early August and closed all of its locations on August 5, according to Fox 10 and KTAR. To pay off its debts, the company has been selling the leases on its former stores. Salad and Go didn't own the buildings, so it's selling the rights to operate in them.

The first big sale came in late August, when Arkansas-based 7 Brew outbid Dutch Bros for 73 locations, including 41 in Arizona, for about $143 million.

On September 30, Salad and Go auctioned off 34 more stores, plus its intellectual property, to seven different buyers for a total of about $15.9 million, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.

Who bought what

Swig: The Utah-based dirty soda chain bought the most, with 13 sites in Arizona, Nevada and Oklahoma for just over $7.3 million. Its Valley locations include Glendale, Goodyear, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Surprise and Tempe.
7 Brew: It added six more locations, four in the Phoenix area and two in Texas, for about $6.6 million. That includes the highest price of the day, about $2.6 million, for a site in Laveen.
Dutch Bros: The Tempe-based coffee chain spent about $1.35 million on five Valley locations in Chandler, Phoenix, Surprise and Tempe.
Just Salad: The East Coast salad chain picked up two Valley stores. It doesn't have any Phoenix-area locations yet.
Others: Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard and Dallas-based Sipside bought Texas locations. A company tied to Salad and Go's co-founder bought two Valley sites and the brand's intellectual property, though its plans haven't been announced.

Where the new Swig locations are expected

Confirmed in the September 30 auction results (Phoenix Business Journal):

Queen Creek: 21429 S. Ellsworth Road, the highest price Swig paid, at $1.425 million
Casa Grande: 1322 E. Florence Blvd.

Included in Swig's earlier bid on Arizona sites (KTAR News, Sept. 28):

Goodyear: 125 N. Estrella Parkway
Goodyear: 17171 W. Yuma Road
Surprise: 17137 N. Litchfield Road
Glendale: 18573 N. 59th Ave.
Phoenix: 777 W. Indian School Road
Tempe: 3229 S. 48th St.
Queen Creek: 90 W. Ocotillo Road
Tucson: 1730 E. Tucson Marketplace Blvd.

The final list could change. Swig's winning bids at the September 30 auction weren't identical to its earlier offer, and all sales still need court approval on October 14. Swig hasn't announced opening dates for any of these locations.

Why this matters

These buildings are unusual. The Business Journal notes that most former Salad and Go stores are only about 800 to 1,500 square feet, with no dining room and no kitchen equipment like hoods, grills or fryers. That makes them a near-perfect fit for drive-thru drink and coffee chains, and a tough fit for almost anyone else.

It also shows how much demand there is for small drive-thru sites in the Valley. Instead of sitting empty, most of these buildings are being snapped up within weeks.

What to watch

Court approval: The September 30 auction results still need to be approved by the bankruptcy judge. A sale hearing is set for October 14.
Opening dates: None of the buyers have announced when their new locations will open.
Just Salad's next move: Two Valley stores could be the start of a bigger push into Arizona.

The takeaway

Salad and Go's closure left dozens of empty drive-thrus across the Valley, and they're already being snapped up. For West Valley neighborhoods like Goodyear and Surprise, that means new options on the way, and it's another sign of how fast retail space gets reused in a growing area.

What do you think? Which brand would you most want to see on your corner? And if you want to know how new businesses and growth could affect your neighborhood or your home's value, reach out to our team.

Juan Grimaldo | The Grimaldo Group at eXp Realty
(480) 365-8346 | juang@teamgrimaldo.com

Sources