Sweetgreen wants to get back to being a lifestyle brand.
Speaking Thursday at the J.P. Morgan Gaming, Lodging, Restaurant & Leisure Management Access Forum, CEO Jonathan Neman on Thursday said the chain’s recently launched transformation plan will include a shift in the brand’s style of marketing.
In recent years, Sweetgreen has focused on what Neman described as “conversion growth, lower funnel” marketing, which is more easily measured.
But after a tough year of traffic and sales declines in 2025, Neman wants to bring Sweetgreen back to its early days, when he and his co-founders were trying to build the healthful brand by tying it to music, fitness, chef collaborations and other things that are less tangible, but build brand affinity.
“From the very early days, Sweetgreen was not just a restaurant company, but a lifestyle company, one that spoke and resonated in culture, community, lifestyle,” he said.
Founded in Washington, D.C., Sweetgreen in 2011 through 2016 hosted an annual music festival called Sweetlife, for example, with bands like Blondie, Grimes, Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd as headliners.
At the event, healthy food and drink were served, produce suppliers took the stage between sets and the brand tapped into a young audience, eager to believe in a more healthful fast-food future.
Now, as the chain works to drive traffic after a more than 13% decline last year, Neman said the company is resetting its media mix, “focusing more on upper funnel brand awareness, and really kind of positioning Sweetgreen in the hearts and minds of consumers,” he said.
The chain has brought in a new media agency, and last year hired Zipporah Allen as chief commercial officer, who Neman said “gets the art and science” of it.
“You’ll see us do some wild stuff that’s hard to measure, that is just great from a brand perspective, that is brand over time as well as the marketing stuff that is sales overnight,” he said.
He didn’t offer details, but said it will include new ways to tell the brand’s story, partnerships, collaborations and events. Sweetgreen will also use more social media, including influencers and content that meets consumers where they are, he said.
There is a lot more menu news coming, he said.
“Our guests love newness from us. They love our seasonal menu. It drives retention. In this noisy media environment, newness really works.”
Last month, for example, Sweetgreen expanded a test of new wrap sandwiches, now in 70 units in various markets. So far, the response has been very positive, with incident rates growing by the day, he said.
The test includes three versions, but more might be added if they decide to roll it out, which is likely to happen in the second quarter.
The sandwiches are designed to attract a non-bowl customer. But it’s also about adding a lower-priced offering. In all markets, the wraps are under $15, and in some as low as $10.95.
Unlike the somewhat disastrous attempt at fries last year, which were operationally challenging, the wraps are proving to be a smoother assembly for team members. And Sweetgreen’s Infinite Kitchen automated makelines can also make the wraps.
“We think that’ll be a big sales catalyst for us,” said Neman.
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