While nearly everything gets more expensive, Sweetgreen CEO defends $16 salads, imploring customers to think about the long-term cost of their health

- Sweetgreen There is no doubt that one of the most healthy fast food options in the United States, but it is also one of the most expensive. Power costs about $ 16 on average, but the CEO of the company encourages customers to think beyond the price of the meal today and instead on the long -term effects of what you eat.
Consumer confidence decreases – for a good reason. Since 2020, prices have jumped on goods over 23 % and there is a fear surrounding president Donald Trump’s new introductory policies as well as inflation.
But one of the CEOs demands consumers to think beyond the price of their product today, and to defend the long -term benefits that he can bring. SweetGreen Jonathan Neman said New York Times When you think about the cost of something, you sometimes have to think about the total cost of it.
“There is a cost for you, but when you eat certain things, what is the cost of your health? What is the cost of the environment?” Niman, who launched the fast power chain in mid -2000 while he was a student at Georgetown University, said. The company has become public in late 2021 and now has 250 sites throughout the United States – and they have aspirations to make the Starbucks brand to power.
He and his work partners, Nicholas Jamet and Nathanil Row, opened his first dessert near the campus in Washington, DC in 2007. This was about three years after the “Super Me Size Me” documentary, which started talks about short and long -term traditions of traditional American fast food.
“We would have rejected fast food for the previous generation,” Niman said Newton.
But health options definitely mean a higher cost – and therefore the price of consumers. SweetGreen medium salad costs about $ 16, according to eaterWhile the average price of Big Mac meal is about $ 10.
Niman told Newton.
However, Sweetgreen uses new ingredients of the farm and produced partners, and their list is largely formed from vegetables, grains and proteins-although they recently released a fried fried fried wavelength about 160 calories from McDonald’s potatoes. The company also promotes a declaration that potatoes that contain only five components, while competitors include a set of irreplaceable additives.
“Most companies treat their food centralized and shipped throughout the country,” Niman said, “Niman said Wall Street Magazine In 2024. “In order to maximize taste and freshness, we believe that food should approach the place where guests eat food.”

In addition, it may end “Treat” yourself with SweetGreen in reality until it is cheaper than the grocery purchase: Take it from the previous one luck Reporter Jean -Thir. BLS data shows that the average monthly cost of grocery stores for one person is $ 504.
SweetGreen did not respond immediately luckAdditional suspension request.
Although the company’s profits have increased to nearly $ 677 million in the fiscal year 2024, according to the profit report at Sweetgreen, it still faces a net loss of about $ 90 million. Assuming the average price of $ 16 for SweetGREEN power, the company loses about $ 2.26 per meal, a Sherwood News Show the analysis. Some of the highest costs include food, drinks, packaging, employment, and administrative costs, as the profit report shows.
The other main cost of SweetGREEN is investing in technology to operate its capacity services, connections, and Amnesty International to make proposals to customers and maintain its loyalty program.
“Our way to profitability on the basis of pure income comes from some levers,” said Niman Wsj. “The first continues to develop our fingerprint. The second is to increase sales in current stores. The third is very depleted about our cost structure to ensure that the additional profit we achieve is flowing through the summary.”
SweetGreen will report the profits of the first quarter of 2025 on May 8.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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2025-05-05 15:33:00