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“ Sweetgreen has some of the best choices for a healthy lunch or dinner, hands-down,” say Lisa Muras, RD, and Nadine Jakim Young, MS, RD, CDE of Virginia Hospital Center. “Most salads total between 400 and 500 calories, an affordable calorie allotment for the majority of people.
WITH A DEVOTED following and a recent valuation of over $1 billion, the fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen seems to be doing things right. The company’s three founders— Nicolas Jammet , Jonathan Neman and Nathaniel Ru —wouldn’t fully agree. “Right now, the experience is average or mediocre at best,” says Jammet , 34.
My current sweetGreen fave is the Hummus Tahini Salad! The homemade hummus is incredible and the cucumbers, kale and pita chips give the perfect crunch! My favorite thing at sweet greens in the Wild Child. I get it without the cilantro and add grilled chicken and broccoli to it!
The salads at Sweetgreen , which is so trendy these days it merited a profile in the New Yorker, are even pricier at $9.50 to almost $14 with tax. The difference is starker based on cost per calorie, with Sweetgreen’s salads five to 13 times more expensive than a McDouble from the dollar menu.
But with innovation around a supply chain that partners with local farmers, a focus on sustainability, a strong digital footprint and millennial-friendly marketing that’s included sponsored music festivals and popular loyalty rewards programs, Sweetgreen has created growth in what is otherwise a pretty flat marketplace
Salads are expensive because the labor is costly. Those salad ingredients have to be prepared to health department standards. They are also highly perishable once prepared. The lettuce is cheap, but the tomatoes, onions, olives, shredded carrots, cucumbers, bacon bits, cheese crumbles, and salad dressing all add up.
Best: Spinach or Kale Salad When it comes to leafy greens , darker is better. They have the most nutrients. Case in point: Kale and spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce.
Instead of typical croutons, Sweetgreen offers parmesan crisps on top, but the crunchy pieces ended up getting soggy in the Caesar dressing. While Sweetgreen’s salad isn’t bad on its own, if you’re looking for a genuine Caesar that does not skimp on chicken, Chopt is your best bet.
Average Sweetgreen hourly pay ranges from approximately $11.06 per hour for Crew Member to $17.92 per hour for Assistant Manager. The average Sweetgreen salary ranges from approximately $18,000 per year for Cashier to $72,986 per year for Area Manager.
Before the pandemic, Sweetgreen had opened 700 Outposts since launching the program in 2018, but now they are shuttered. Since its founding in Washington D.C. in 2007, Sweetgreen has been on a lofty trajectory that valued it more like a tech company than a restaurant chain.
Sweetgreen Menu
Apples, Pears + Cheddar | $8.10 |
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OMG Omega | $13.25 |
Kale Caesar | $9.75 |
Spicy Sabzi | $9.25 |
Guacamole Greens | $10.75 |
Nearly every single one of Sweetgreen’s “housemade” salad dressings lists grapeseed oil as a major ingredient. It is near the top of the list for many of their dressings , including their yummy Spicy Cashew Dressing (where it’s #1).
After months of iterations, we developed a proprietary hot sauce we ‘re thrilled with, and it’s now at your local sweetgreen , replacing red chili flakes in the Spicy Sabzi and drizzled atop the Curry Chickpea Bowl, a winter seasonal.
Dressing (around 200 Calories )