Ailing salad chain Sweetgreen unveils line of cut-price wraps to try and tempt back customers

After numerous quarters of double-digit decreases, Sweetgreen chose to alter the method it ran.

In an effort to shed its image as one of the more costly locations to get a fast bite, the fast-casual food cycle presented cut-price covers to its menu in May.

Cost effective and similarly delightful, the business invested practically 2 years getting the dishes right, checking the waters in your area before releasing the brand-new products across the country.

The trial began with 8 shops in Los Angeles, where Sweetgreen is headquartered. In February 2026, it included 70 more places to trial run, consisting of outlets in Manhattan and the Midwest.

By May, Sweetgreen clients across the country were experimenting with the 4 covers, all priced listed below $15. The brand-new wrap lineup consists of: Molly’s Big Dill Caesar, Classic Chicken Caesar, Cali Chicken Club and Chicken Jalapeño Ranch.

The business hopes the less expensive offerings will assist lure back some clients.

‘When you ‘d stroll into a Sweetgreen, you ‘d see more things above $15 than you would see under $15,’ Chief Financial Officer Jamie McConnell informed the Wall Street Journal.

‘So emotionally, although a great deal of our costs might be lower than a few of our peers, we were considered as an extremely costly business since we didn’t have any of those entry costs in.’

The chain likewise prepares to move far from some discount rate offers, consisting of the buy-one-get-one complimentary and $10 promos for commitment members. These deals at first brought individuals in however stopped working to transform one-off consumers into regulars, McConnell stated.

The covers, priced at around $11 and balancing approximately $13 with additions like avocado, were the response to this issue.

It assisted the group target price-sensitive restaurants who might remain under budget plan and likewise spend lavishly on more premium menu products such as salmon or steak.

The outcomes showed up when profits supported in June and revealed development in early July, hinting that the launch succeeded.

The covers likewise assisted McConnell drive shop traffic at a time when upsells have actually ended up being harder due to inflation.

Wraps are likewise more attractive to consumers who prevent salads completely, Margaret-May Binshtok, a dining establishment equity research study expert at Wolfe Research, informed the WSJ.

She stated that a 3rd of Sweetgreen’s newbie consumers bought a wrap and published about it on social networks in September.

Social network problems about Sweetgreen’s costs likewise dropped considerably in the 3rd quarter to about 1.5 percent, below in between 4 and 5 percent in the very first 3 months of the year.

‘You’re beginning to see that momentum with covers type of reappear,’ Binshtok stated.

She included that improving worth understanding was necessary for Sweetgreen’s long-lasting strategies.

One method which they will attain this is by clarifying costs when consumers develop their own bowls or salads.

‘What utilized to occur is you ‘d begin off with a $10 green bowl, and then you go down the line, include all of these various things, and before you understand it, you have a $22 salad and you’re p *****? We wish to make certain that’s more transparent,’ McConnell stated.

This suggests restaurants will get a protein, 2 bases and 4 garnishes for around $13, with dressing and bread consisted of, the CFO informed the WSJ.

Regardless of the efforts, the management anticipates same-store sales to drop in between 7 and 8 percent for the year however the executives are positive that menu modifications will assist generate more clients.