After many quarters of double-digit declines, Sweetgreen decided to change the way it operated.
asserted
it → decide → way
In an attempt to shed its image as one of the more expensive places to grab a quick bite, the fast-casual food chain introduced cut-price wraps to its menu in May.
uncertain
chain → shed → May
Affordable and equally delectable, the company spent almost two years getting the recipes right, testing the waters locally before launching the new items nationwide.
asserted
recipes → spend → items
The trial started with eight stores in Los Angeles, where Sweetgreen is headquartered.
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Sweetgreen → start → Angeles
In February 2026, it added 70 more locations to trial run, including outlets in Manhattan and the Midwest.
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it → add → Manhattan
By May, Sweetgreen customers nationwide were trying out the four wraps, all priced below $15.
uncertain
customers → try → 15
The new wrap lineup includes: Molly's Big Dill Caesar, Classic Chicken Caesar, Cali Chicken Club and Chicken Jalapeño Ranch.
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lineup → include → Caesar
The company hopes the cheaper offerings will help tempt back some customers.
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offerings → hop → customers
‘When you’d walk into a Sweetgreen, you’d see more things above $15 than you would see under $15,’ Chief Financial Officer Jamie McConnell told the Wall Street Journal.
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McConnell → walk → Journal
‘So psychologically, even though a lot of our prices could be lower than some of our peers, we were viewed as a very expensive company because we didn’t have any of those entry prices in.’
In an attempt to shed its image as a one of the more expensive places to grab a quick bite, the fast-casual food chain introduced cut-price wraps to its menu in May.
uncertain
chain → view → May
Affordable and equally delectable, the company spent almost two years getting the recipes right, testing the waters locally before launching the new items nationwide.
asserted
recipes → spend → items
The chain also plans to move away from some discount deals, including the buy-one-get-one free and $10 promotions for loyalty members.
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chain → plan → members
These offers initially brought people in but failed to convert one-off customers into regulars, McConnell said.
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McConnell → bring → regulars
The wraps, priced at around $11 and averaging roughly $13 with additions like avocado, were the answer to this problem.
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wraps → price → problem
It helped the team target price-sensitive diners who could stay under budget and also splurge on more premium menu items such as salmon or steak.
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who → help → salmon
The results were visible when revenue stabilized in June and showed growth in early July, hinting that the launch was successful.
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launch → stabilize → July
The wraps also helped McConnell drive store traffic at a time when upsells have become more difficult due to inflation.
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upsells → help → inflation
Wraps are also more appealing to customers who avoid salads altogether, Margaret-May Binshtok, a restaurant equity research analyst at Wolfe Research, told the WSJ.
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Binshtok → avoid → WSJ
She said that a third of Sweetgreen’s first-time customers ordered a wrap and posted about it on social media in September.
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third → say → September
Social media complaints about Sweetgreen's prices also dropped significantly in the third quarter to about 1.5 percent, down from between four and five percent in the first three months of the year.
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complaints → drop → year
Wraps are also more appealing to customers who avoid salads altogether, Margaret-May Binshtok, a restaurant equity research analyst at Wolfe Research, told the WSJ.
uncertain
Binshtok → avoid → WSJ
Despite the efforts, the management expects same-store sales to drop between seven and eight percent for the year
‘You’re starting to see that momentum with wraps kind of reappear,’ Binshtok said.
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Binshtok → expect → wraps
She added that enhancing value perception was important for Sweetgreen’s long-term plans.
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enhancing → add → plans
One way which they will achieve this is by clarifying prices when customers create their own bowls or salads.
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customers → achieve → bowls
‘What used to happen is you’d start off with a $10 green bowl, and then you go down the line, add all of these different things, and before you know it, you have a $22 salad and you’re p*****, right?
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you → use → salad
We want to make sure that’s more transparent,’ McConnell said.
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McConnell → want → ?
This means diners will get a protein, two bases and four toppings for around $13, with dressing and bread included, the CFO told the WSJ.
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CFO → mean → WSJ
Despite the efforts, the management expects same-store sales to drop between seven and eight per cent for the year but the executives are confident that menu changes will help bring in more customers.
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changes → expect → customers
The Aporia
