Sweetgreen Becomes the First National Fast-Casual Restaurant Chain to Announce It Will Cook Proteins, Veggies, and Grains Exclusively in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

October 18, 2023 at 09:00 AM EDT

Beginning next week (Oct. 24) all of Sweetgreen's proteins, veggies and grains will be prepared using extra virgin olive oil.

Today, Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG), the mission-driven restaurant brand serving healthy food at scale, announced it’s using Extra Virgin Olive Oil (“EVOO”) as its cooking oil for all proteins, veggies and grains nationwide. Starting Oct. 24, EVOO will be incorporated across Sweetgreen’s menu to enhance the dishes that fans know and love – from warm bowls built on a bed of grains to salads topped with hearty proteins and roasted veggies.

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Beginning next week (Oct. 24) all of Sweetgreen's proteins, veggies and grains will be prepared using extra virgin olive oil. (Photo: Business Wire)

Since its founding, Sweetgreen has remained committed to prioritizing high-quality, local, and minimally processed ingredients. By making the shift to EVOO, Sweetgreen continues to deliver on that commitment, giving customers confidence that all Sweetgreen ingredients – down to its cooking oil – meet the brand's highest set of sourcing standards.

“Reimagining fast food goes beyond the kitchen and starts with a strong, transparent supply chain. In addition to partnering with suppliers and growers we trust, we take into account how every ingredient is prepared, down to the oil it’s cooked in,” said Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen Co-Founder and Chief Concept Officer. “While we know there’s more work to do, we hope this change raises the bar and continues to inspire our industry to make quality products more accessible.”

Sweetgreen’s Trusted Extra Virgin Olive Oil Partners

Sweetgreen hand-selects its partners for their shared commitment to sustainable farming and quality ingredients. Sweetgreen’s EVOO provider Bari Olive Oil Company is family-owned and one of the oldest olive oil companies in the United States, operating since 1936.

Bari’s EVOO is 100% domestically cultivated and produced in California, using organic, sustainable practices. Olives are milled within 24 hours of harvest, creating the premium product customers across the country love. Using a drought-friendly crop, Bari has created a sustainable system taking advantage of every part of the olive, including using the pomace (ground pit and meat not used) of the olive for cattle feed and the water used during milling for irrigating its trees.

Along with Bari, Sweetgreen is also introducing Texas Olive Ranch to its 17 locations in the Texas market. A fourth-generation family farm, Texas Olive Ranch produces cold-pressed olive oil free of additives and preservatives.

In addition to EVOO, Sweetgreen is exploring implementing avocado oil as an additional cooking oil as the company continues to innovate its menu. Recently, Sweetgreen released a brand new red wine vinaigrette dressing with an avocado oil base as part of its summer menu drop. Becoming an instant fan-favorite, the dressing is now a permanent fixture in custom bowls and featured in signature salads like the Italian Chopped. From ideation to production, Sweetgreen values every ingredient that goes into its menu items and provides customers with the transparency and quality that they increasingly expect.

About Sweetgreen: Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) passionately believes that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day their team members create delicious seasonal meals from fresh ingredients and produce that prioritizes organic, regenerative, and local sourcing. Sweetgreen strongly believes in harnessing the power of technology to enhance the customer experience to meet their customers where they are. Sweetgreen’s strong food ethos and investment in local communities have enabled them to grow into a national brand with a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. To learn more about Sweetgreen and its menu, visit www.Sweetgreen.com. Follow Sweetgreen on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @Sweetgreen.