Faced with slumping lunch traffic from downtown offices and waning consumer interest in pricey salads, Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman is leaning into America’s 2020s-era protein craze. The fast-casual salad chain announced significant changes to its menu this summer—a response to shifting habits in corporate America, where employees are less likely to order delivery salads for solitary desk lunches, and are demanding more value for their dollar.
Sweetgreen’s turnaround strategy includes 25% bigger portions of chicken and tofu, recipe upgrades for proteins like chicken and salmon, and member deals on salads as cheap as $13. The decision follows months of disappointing sales: Same-store sales have dropped by as much as 7.6% this summer, with a reported 10.1% plunge in customer traffic. Sweetgreen also cut its annual outlook for the second quarter in a row as it struggles to keep budget-strained diners interested in salads averaging $16 a bowl.
