Dive Brief:
- Sweetgreen is opening its first North Carolina location in Charlotte, the company said Monday in a press release. Another location in Raleigh is “coming soon,” per its website.
- The 2,479-square-foot restaurant marks further expansion in the Southeast for the chain, which already has nearly 20 locations in Georgia and Florida.
- The Southeast is one of Sweetgreen’s top-performing, emerging markets. The chain has gleaned strong top-line performance in the region, CEO Jonathan Neman said during the chain’s Q2 2024 earnings call.
Dive Insight:
New markets are key to Sweetgreen’s targeted annual growth rate of 15% to 20%. During the second quarter, the chain opened four locations, including its first in New Hampshire, Neman said. Sweetgreen, which recently reached 230 units, has already identified most of its 2025 pipeline and is working on its 2026 pipeline.
This year, the salad brand expects to open between 24 and 26 new restaurants, seven of which will contain its Infinite Kitchen, an automated makeline that prepares bowls, CFO Mitch Reback said during the call.
“Our results continue to show that our brand’s relevancy extends far beyond our current footprint, with considerable white space in both new and existing markets,” Neman said.
New markets typically have strong comp growth and traffic, Reback said, adding that Sweetgreen’s menu is “well received.” The chain will also work on increasing density in existing markets and expanding into adjacent regions, with a focus on both urban and suburban areas, Neman said.
