Name: Jason Cochran
New title: Chief operating officer, Sweetgreen
Previous title: CEO and board member, American West Restaurant Group
Sweetgreen has appointed Jason Cochran to replace Rossann Williams as chief operating officer, the company said Tuesday. Williams, a former Starbucks executive, led operations at the salad chain for about a year before departing earlier this month.
Cochran most recently served as CEO of American West Restaurant Group, a major Pizza Hut franchisee, according to the press release. According to Cochran’s LinkedIn profile, he also worked as a vice president of operations at Chipotle from 2018 to 2022, during that brand’s successful turnaround under Brian Niccol. Before that, he spent over a decade in operational roles at GameStop.
Cochran said in a statement that his work at the salad chain would be intended to “scale the business, strengthen the culture, and deliver continued value for our customers, team members, and shareholders.”
Despite efforts to modernize its loyalty program, expand its menu to new dayparts, automate some kitchen operations and develop suburban markets, Sweetgreen remains unprofitable as of its most recent earnings release.
Cochran’s experience at Chipotle, which took a commanding lead in the Mexican fast casual sector, could prove useful for Sweetgreen as it looks to achieve something similar in the salad space. The salad segment has grown more competitive recently, as brands like Salad and Go have brought on experienced restaurant leaders. Just Salad, a Sweetgreen competitor, recently raised $200 million in capital and has followed Sweetgreen’s strategic footsteps in recent months with a focus on the dinner daypart and suburban development.
