Dive Brief:
- Sweetgreen is adding steak as a protein option to its permanent menu starting Tuesday, the company said in an announcement emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- Sweetgreen said the new protein is “a grass-fed, pasture-raised steak, seasoned with a garlic spice blend.” The recipe was developed by Chad Brauze, the company’s head of culinary.
- During initial tests of the menu item in Boston-area restaurants, steak comprised nearly one-fifth of Sweetgreen’s dinner orders. The company said its addition is part of a strategy of “doubling down on its dinner proposition, offering heartier, more protein-rich options to satisfy customer cravings.”
Dive Insight:
Sweetgreen added protein plates to its menu in the fall, and the chain wants to increase its offerings in the dinner daypart. On the chain’s Q4 2023 earnings call, CEO Jonathan Neman said the initial launch of protein plates exceeded the brand’s own expectations.
“In the first 60 days after introducing Protein Plates, we've seen our dinner daypart grow,” Neman said. “Plates sales are over-indexing in markets such as Texas and the Southeast.” On the same call, Neman said the company had launched its initial tests of steak, and hinted that Sweetgreen had a long-term plan to change its menu.
“We have a multi-year menu innovation roadmap,” Neman said.
The company told Restaurant Dive that about 35% of the chain’s customers order dinner, and that, in addition to the three menu items centered on steak, customers can add the protein to any of their entrees. Sweetgreen began adding new menu items in different categories in 2022, when it added a crispy rice treat to its menu.
