Mandy and Rebecca Wolfe are sisters from Montréal who started the beloved salad brand, Mandy’s Gourmet Salads in 2004. Since then, they have transformed their love for fresh, vibrant, and health-conscious meals into a culinary empire. What began as a simple passion for salads has blossomed into a beloved brand synonymous with creativity, quality, and community. Their business philosophy centers on delivering an exceptional dining experience, one that nourishes both body and soul. With a relentless commitment to authenticity, the Wolfe sisters have built a brand that not only serves delicious salads but also cultivates a lifestyle of wellness, connection, and sustainability.
We sat down with the duo to hear more about how they got started, what they’re doing differently, and exactly what it’s like to go into business with family.
State your elevator pitch and mission for your business.
Rebecca Wolfe: We’re bringing glamour and sexy back to healthy eating—no more rabbit food in clinical environments. We go for bold, bright, daring flavour and design and we want to offer this way of eating across the globe.
What are you doing that no one else is doing?
Mandy Wolfe: Personalizing your culinary experience in the most stunning and inspiring environments.
What inspired you to become entrepreneurs?
Rebecca Wolfe: It was an organic move, both being very creative and ‘outside the box’ thinkers. We were our first customers, and with nowhere to get what we wanted, we decided to be the first in Montreal in 2004. If it ain’t out there, go make it yourself!
Many advise never going into business with family. What is it like running a business with your sister?
Mandy Wolfe: It was the best decision we ever made. You know and trust your family, you’re woven from the same cloth and set of values, so who better than to embark on a business adventure with? And we both know where the line is between our strengths and let the other shine in their talents. It can be very lonely running a business alone, and we’re so grateful to have each other to share both the stresses and the wins together.
What is your unique perspective on your niche and industry?
Rebecca Wolfe: Customer service, or the art of service, seems to be a dying element in our online-oriented world, we still strive for smiles and happy interactions with fellow humans over shared experiences, we believe there’s still nothing like it. As much as you can get your meal delivered to you at work or at home, there’s something unparalleled to walking into a space where the music is a vibe, the people are happy and all your senses are lit up with delight. We are deeply sensory creatures and we don’t want to lose that, as much as tech keeps pushing us into isolation.
Entrepreneurs often wear many hats in the early stages of their business, and some would argue that never really ends. How have your roles evolved since the inception of your business, and what key skills have you developed along the way?
Rebecca Wolfe: We spent over a decade working in the business—chopping ingredients, blending vinaigrettes, painting walls, rolling out cookie dough, washing dishes and going to countless markets for our produce. In recent years we have been working on the business, as it has grown tremendously. We’ve gotten a firsthand education or masters in HR, finance, marketing, food chain supply, and scalability. Even though we specialize in food, the main focus is and always has been people–how to engage them, make them happy, grow them (our amazing team), collaborate, and listen to them—staff and guests alike.
What is one lesson that you hope people will learn or walk away with from your work?
Mandy Wolfe: You don’t have to do anything conventionally, there is no roadmap for your unique journey. By all means, ask someone for advice who is on a path that interests you, but oftentimes the magic is in the uncertain inception of it all, and it’s only in hindsight that you see everything happened for a reason. Sometimes the most difficult times are the ones you learn the most from.
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What would you consider as some of the key milestones or achievements in your entrepreneurial journey so far?
Mandy Wolfe: When we were both pregnant at the exact same time, we had to let go of so much control and trust, and we started onboarding management and executive teams. Growing our team and having a tribe of people with the same values and goals has been a huge achievement. We would not have been able to grow as we have without these incredibly creative and hardworking people. And of course, writing two best-selling cookbooks and opening up outside of our hometown Montreal into the Toronto market have all been dreams beyond our wildest imagination.
While Mandy’s is known for having incredible salads made to order, you also have written cookbooks based on your recipes. What made you want to take on that challenge, and what have you learned from it?
Mandy Wolfe: I love writing, and have always loved the stories behind classic timeless recipes. We have had so many recipes over the years that aren’t even on the menu, and so much of our success has been just real stories of two sisters with an idea that just took off, so there’s a lot of “normal” that people relate to. We have such a visual component to our restaurants and what better way to showcase that beauty than in photos and stories in a cookbook? It was a fun and long process, and we had a lot of guidance and support from our co-author Meredith Erickson. It’s almost like a proud public journal of our story so far. It felt a bit vulnerable at first when it was released, as we share so much, but humans like true stories and in the end, we were happy to share some of our lives in these books with them.
What do you wish you knew before you became entrepreneurs or started your business?
Mandy Wolfe: There will always be fear and risk—always. But if you’re going to believe in something that doesn’t really tangibly exist (fear, doubt, worry, “what if”), you may as well devote that energy to belief and faith that it WILL or CAN work out. And surround yourself with GOOD people. Watch what they do. If you have good trustworthy people on your team, you can achieve so much more together.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting their own ventures or are considering taking the entrepreneurial path?
Rebecca Wolfe: Buckle up, buttercup! Our trajectory was a long and slow one before we saw any kind of success. Becca and I were sharing a little car and spending our mornings at markets and standing beside blenders prepping for the day ahead, and our nights checking the bank accounts to make sure cheques actually went through. There’s a ton of work and stress that went into our business, but it was worth it all. Make sure your dream resonates with (some) people, and that they are as fervent and passionate about the outcome and possibility as you are. If it keeps you up at night because the idea is too good to let go of, don’t give up.
What is your vision for the future of your business?
Mandy Wolfe: We’d love to have accessible healthy affordable food just as available as some of the other fast food chains out there (that are not so healthy for us, or the planet). We want to keep inspiring and delighting our guests with tasty treats and visual marvels with each new restaurant we open. We want to keep leading our team and company with heart-led female energy which is full of compassion and teamwork mentality, and bring everyone we love along with us for the ride. I mean it’s salad, but it’s also so much more than a salad, right?
