Sweetgreen enters new state

Sweetgreen continues to expand into new markets.

The fast-casual healthy food chain will open its first location in Rhode Island, at The Garden City Shopping Center in Cranston, on April 18. Rhode Island is the first new state Sweetgreen will enter in 2023 as it continues its goal of expanding into more suburban communities. The company plans a total of 30 to 35 net new restaurant openings in fiscal 2023.

The 2,284-sq.-ft. Sweetgreen Cranston can accommodate 19 indoor diners with banquette seating. It has a patio that can accommodate up to 16 people.

“We’re excited to be expanding our New England footprint and to provide the Cranston community with a new healthy and satisfying option,” said Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO, Jonathan Neman. “We were drawn to Cranston because it's an active, thriving community where we think Sweetgreen will flourish. We hope that our guests feel a deeper connection to real food every time they walk through our doors.”

In December, Sweetgreen opened its first location in Tampa, Fla., in the city’s Heights District near Tampa Riverwalk. Two additional Tampa locations, in Hyde Park Village and the Edge District, are scheduled to open this year.

The company is also piloting new formats. It opened its first digital-only location in October, in Washington, D.C.’s Mt. Vernon Square neighborhood. The new format comes as Sweetgreen’s digital business continues to grow, accounting for 67% of its total revenue in 2021.  The 2,190 sq. ft. space is dedicated to pick-up only, with no interior dining or front-service line. It also has opened its first “sweetlane” format, in Schaumburg, Ill.

For every meal sold on opening day at the Cranston restaurant, Sweetgreen will donate a meal to the Comprehensive Community Action Program to help combat food insecurity. The program is one of the largest community action programs in Rhode Island, providing quality health and human services to over 40,000 Rhode Islanders annually.

Sweetgreen specializes in plant-forward, seasonal, and earth-friendly meals from fresh ingredients and produce that prioritizes organic, regenerative and local sourcing.