How can sweetgreen increase brand credibility while simultaneously driving revenue?
By many standards, sweetgreen leads the fast-casual restaurant segment and has set the bar for the rest of the industry. In 2018, sweetgreen approached The Culinary Edge seeking outside ideas on how the brand could further secure their leadership position amongst consumers while also increasing profitability within their restaurants.
Create new, meaningful occasions.
The brand was seen by guests primarily as a lunch destination, with a limited number of solutions, i.e., quick, functional, healthy salad or grain bowl. We presented new menu platforms that strategically address broader guest use cases while also considering the operational status quo. One of those opportunities was to expand into dinner. Plates — featuring new protein operations, larger vegetable cuts, improved hot holding, and updated packaging — launched during the Spring of 2020, putting sweetgreen into the dinner occasion.
(Actually) make it premium.
Despite having a "premium" topping section, guests did not have a way to opt into a truly premium experience at sweetgreen. We presented various menu platforms that elevated the experience and reinforced the premium nature of the brand. One of those opportunities was to add value-added treatments to ingredients, making them stand out against the competition and on the line. A vibrant, colorful beet hummus launched in 2019.