Sweet Melissa’s Columbiana Location Now Open

COLUMBIANA, Ohio — Melissa Poland says the second location of her Sweet Melissa’s salad and wrap eatery has opened in the right place and at the right time.

The shop opened its doors Tuesday in Red Brick Commons, the new commercial development adjacent to Firestone Farms TownCentre. It’s the first occupant in the new strip-plaza building.

The original Sweet Melissa’s in Boardman will mark its fifth anniversary in March.

Poland said there are two reasons why the Sweet Melissa’s Columbiana location makes perfect sense.

“I’m only 15 minutes away from the original location so if anything happens, I could be there quickly,” she said. 

“Also, there are not a lot of food options around here and ours is the kind of meal that a lot of people are gravitating to,” she continued. “People are eating healthier since the pandemic started. Our business actually doubled during the pandemic.”

Erich Offenburg, director of the Columbiana Chamber of Commerce, echoed that sentiment. “Clientele here are always looking for a fresh option,” he said. “It’s a perfect match.”

Sweet Melissa’s menu includes 14 salads, with names like the Tuscan, Cinnamon Harvest, The Boom Boom, Purple Haze and On Blueberry Hill.

The lineup of wraps includes the Not-Your-Mama’s Fried Bologna, Dr. Feel Good and the Chicken Gyro. Also available are quinoa power bowls.

Sweet Melissa’s staff prepares all food fresh daily, baking chicken in-house and chopping all vegetables.

“It’s as close to homemade as you can get,” Poland said.

What makes her food offerings unique are the 11 house-made vinaigrette dressings.

“I can’t change the taste of the lettuce or the tomatoes or the onions or cucumbers,” Poland said. “But I can change the taste of what goes on that salad with these vinaigrettes. They are worth tasting.”

Her regular customers, she said, often switch their favorites as they try new salads and vinaigrettes. “It’s all about taste and texture,” Poland said.

The Columbiana location of Sweet Melissa’s has 11 employees and seating for 22.

It also has a drive-thru pickup window, which is something the original location lacks. Customers who call in takeout orders are told when their food will be ready. They can then pick up their order at the window without getting out of their car.

The Columbiana location, 85 TownCentre Ave., is located off state Route 7, just north of the intersection of state Route 11. It is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The dining room closes a half-hour before takeout service ends each day.

Call 330 892 0420 to place an order.

Sweet Melissa’s will be joined in the plaza this spring by Sabi’s, a full-service American cuisine restaurant and bar with a patio for outdoor service. It will be owned by Sebastian and Kristen Chomczyk of Poland, according to Nick DeMaiolo, developer of Red Brick Commons.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.