Sweetgreen isn't just another healthy eatery. It's one of the fastest growing food chains in the U.S., and according to co-founder Nicolas Jammet, aspires to change the way the country eats, one salad at a time.
"We started with a set of values and beliefs about the food system -- what we should be eating and how we wanted to eat -- and stayed true to those," Jammet said. "[We] built a place that was fun and cool and where we wanted to go every day."
He continued, "It’s not just about the transaction of coming in here and buying a salad…we want people to really feel connected to the brand."
While attending Georgetown University Jammet and his two business partners, Nate Ru and Jonathan Neman, felt the area was lacking food options that fit their lifestyle. They wrote a business plan in school and raised funding through friends and family to open their first restaurant, a "560 square-foot box." Now there are 27 Sweetgreen locations around the country.
Sweetgreen sources its produce from local farmers and prides itself in giving back to the community. In fact, they also partake in "Random Acts of Sweetness," where they leave positive messages in places as a way to connect with consumers and make their days better.
As they look to the future, Jammet and his business partners don't just want to feed their customers. They want to make a difference. He added, "We really think there’s an incredible opportunity today to change the way people think about food and change the way America eats."
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