sweetgreen Pilots Automation at New Store

May 10, 2023 at 09:00 AM EDT

Now open in Naperville, IL, the new restaurant leverages technology to serve customers fresh, healthy food while providing a more human experience.

Today, sweetgreen, the mission-driven restaurant brand serving healthy food at scale, announced the opening of its first restaurant powered by automation, accelerating the industry’s adoption of advanced technology and taking steps toward the future of dining. The pilot store, located in Naperville, IL, debuts new technology called the sweetgreen Infinite Kitchen, designed to enhance the customer experience and food quality, with a focus on fresh ingredients, fast service, and friendly hospitality.

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Now open in Naperville, IL, the new restaurant leverages technology to serve customers fresh, healthy food while providing a more human experience. (Photo: Business Wire)

With the advancement of automation playing a large role across industries today, sweetgreen is eager and excited to be an early adopter in the space, opening the first restaurant in its fleet powered by the Infinite Kitchen. Since its acquisition of Spyce in 2021, sweetgreen has spent the last year and a half fine tuning and adapting its technology to test alongside customers and team members, with the goal of designing a frictionless experience that connects more people to real food.

As a brand that promises fast, fresh and friendly service, the new format allows for quicker pace, precise portioning and increased accuracy—while creating efficiencies that allow the team to focus on fresh prep and intimate hospitality. Guests can watch the technology at work, from dispensing greens and dressing bowls and plates, to evenly dispersing ingredients and mixing salads. Team members add the final touches at the finishing station, with a sprinkle of herbs or a scoop of avocado.

"We believe that automation will enable us to elevate the quality and integrity of our food while also providing a faster and more convenient experience for our customers and a better, more dynamic job for our team members," said Jonathan Neman, CEO and Co-Founder of sweetgreen. “With the integration of the sweetgreen Infinite Kitchen in our restaurants, we can unlock efficiencies that will enable us to grow more quickly as we scale.”

When visiting the Naperville sweetgreen restaurant, customers are greeted by the new “host” position which provides a more personalized connection between team members and guests. To order, customers can utilize self-service kiosks, place an order through the mobile app, or order directly from the restaurant’s host. The new restaurant format also brings in a new Tasting Counter, brand-storytelling digital screens and a revamped merchandising strategy for an authentic sweetgreen experience at every touchpoint. Customers visiting the store will be able to shop exclusive merch with designs inspired by the new store joining the Naperville community.

In support of its mission to build healthier communities by connecting more people to real food, sweetgreen is bringing on a local impact partner with the restaurant's grand opening, donating meals to Loaves & Fishes for each meal sold that day. Loaves & Fishes is an anti-poverty hunger relief agency serving food and leadership services to the Naperville and DuPage county community.

Sweetgreen Naperville is located at 223 South Main Street, open from 10:30am to 9pm daily, with indoor seating and an outdoor patio available for dining in, as well as pickup and delivery options available on order.sweetgreen.com and through the SG app.

About sweetgreen:

Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) passionately believes that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day their team members create plant-forward, seasonal, and earth-friendly 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.