Sweetgreen rolled out the new air-fried Ripple Fries systemwide on Tuesday, offering a more healthful take on a classic American fast-food staple.
CEO Jonathan Neman said last week the fries were coming after tests in Los Angeles proved there is demand for a “permissible indulgence.”
It’s also the latest step in the Los Angeles-based chain’s ongoing effort to shake off its reputation as a lunch-salad concept. Last year, the chain grew dinner sales with the addition of steak and protein plates.
Adding fries to the menu—albeit with a healthful twist—is another opportunity to reach non-salad eaters.
Chad Brauze, Sweetgreen’s head of culinary, said the response to the market test in Los Angeles was incredible.
“Within a week, Ripple Fries went viral on social media, reaching millions and sparking a flood of requests from guests nationwide asking when they’d launch in their city,” Brauze said. “The organic buzz and excitement showed us just how much demand there is for a better take on fries, reinforcing our belief that this is a natural next step for Sweetgreen.”
Made from freshly cut russet potatoes and seasoned with salt and herbs, the fries are air-fried with avocado oil in small batches throughout the day to ensure crispness. There are two signature sauce options for dipping: Garlic Aioli and Pickle Ketchup. The side dish is priced at $4.95.
Neman in a LinkedIn post said most restaurant fries are “engineered for addiction,” and loaded with additives like tertiary butylhydroquinone, sodium acid pyrophosphate and dimethylpolysiloxane.
“What should be the simplest, purest food has become a science experiment,” he wrote.
Sweetgreen’s fries, meanwhile, have five ingredients “that you can actually pronounce,” he said (potatoes, potato starch, avocado oil, parsley and salt).
Sweetgreen also does not use seed oils, which some consumers object to for health and sustainability reasons.
Neman declined to comment on the attach rate for the side offering, when it was in test. But he said, “It’s the highest attach side that we’ve ever had and tested, and totally incremental.”
The new Ripple Fries are one of a number of menu innovations coming to Sweetgreen this year. Neman last year hinted that hand-held items and desserts could be new additions coming to test.
The chain’s same-store sales were up 4% in the fourth quarter, but primarily as a result of menu price increases. Traffic was flat, and the chain had a rough start to the year, blaming bad weather and the Los Angeles wildfires.
Industry foot-traffic data tracker Placer.ai, however, said Sweetgreen’s fourth-quarter visits grew 9.9% year-over-year, and rose 5.7% in January.
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