Rewrite the future of food with us
Fifteen years ago, sweetgreen was founded by three college students—Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet, and Nathaniel Ru—who were simply looking for a way to eat that was healthy and convenient.
Today, with over 140 locations across 13 states and counting, we're excited to announce that sweetgreen is a publicly listed company. As we move forward in this new chapter, we invite you to join us as we continue to rewrite the future of food.
So—what is the future of food?
The future of food is delicious
We wouldn’t do the future of food justice if it didn’t taste better.
We obsess over making really, really good food, and it all starts with sourcing, curating, and thoughtfully preparing the best ingredients out there. We partner with like-minded local artisans, suppliers, and chefs who share our values. The result is a seasonal menu of bold, fresh flavors you can’t stop craving. Just because food is healthy, doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious.
The future of food is healthy
We believe the choices we make about what we eat, where it comes from, and how it’s prepared directly impact the health of people, communities, and the planet.
Over a decade ago, fast food was cheap and convenient—and not all that healthy. But because of people like you, the industry is changing. Today we're seeing a powerful shift—more people want to eat healthier food and care about the impact their choices have on the environment.
To guide our impact on the future of food, all of our decisions are rooted in intention, integrity and meticulous care. Sweetgreen's menu features unprocessed ingredients, including 30+ plants that stay whole until our team starts chopping. We also always minimize adding sugar where nature didn't grow it.
The future of food is sustainable
As restaurant leaders in an industry that drives as much as one third of global carbon emissions, it’s our responsibility to use our platform and resources to confront this crisis head on.
Earlier this year, we committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2027. We're achieving this by focusing on three areas: sourcing, menu development, and our physical footprint.
How we source
We can only have a zero carbon food system if we work with like-minded partners equally committed to decarbonizing, and support our suppliers in improving their agricultural practices.
That’s why over the past 15 years, we’re proud to have built a network of local growers and suppliers—more than 200 food partners across the country, such as farmers and bakers. Our supply chain is organized into regional distribution networks that align retail proximity with cultivation to allow for more transparency from seed to bowl.
How we create our menu
Our plant-forward menu means that we’re already 30% less carbon intensive than the average American diet. But with the meat and dairy industries accounting for about 14.5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions—and poultry and cheese being two of the highest emitters on our menu—there is room for improvement.
Moving forward we’ll continue to work closely with our suppliers to help implement industry-leading strategies for carbon minimization. We’ve also added a formal carbon impact measurement step to our menu evaluation process and indicate on our menu which items are the most earth-friendly.
How we design our physical footprint
When we talk about buildings, we mean everything from the physical infrastructure of a restaurant to the power and energy we use to keep it running.
Earlier this year we rolled out our 100% clean energy program. This sees us matching 100% of our electricity usage with renewable energy from impactful sources to reduce our carbon footprint in 2021 by around 7%.
We couldn’t be more excited to share this moment with you. Join us in eating and championing fresh, plant-forward, earth friendly food. Let's rewrite the future of food together.