1. **State the problem:** A restaurant sold salads in three categories: Caesar (20%), Garden (56%), and Taco (24%). We know 5 Caesar salads were sold, which represent 20% of total salads. We need to find the total number of salads sold. 2. **Formula and explanation:** The percentage formula is: $$\text{Part} = \text{Percentage} \times \text{Total}$$ Here, Part = 5 (Caesar salads), Percentage = 20% = 0.20, Total = unknown. 3. **Set up the equation:** $$5 = 0.20 \times \text{Total}$$ 4. **Solve for Total:** $$\text{Total} = \frac{5}{0.20}$$ 5. **Simplify the fraction:** $$\text{Total} = \frac{5}{\cancel{0.20}} \times \frac{\cancel{1}}{1} = 25$$ 6. **Interpretation:** The restaurant sold 25 salads in total over the past few days. **Final answer:** $$\boxed{25}$$