Sweetgreen is giving customers a new reason to consider it after lunch. On November 10, the chain introduced rotisserie-seasoned chicken, two new warm Plates and a sourdough chocolate chip cookie. The additions move the menu further into a knife-and-fork dinner format, rather than simply offering another variation on a salad bowl.
According to the company’s announcement, the chicken is roasted after an overnight marinade. It appears in the Jammy Sunday Chicken and Wild Chicken Bello plates, as well as an Umami Chicken Rice Wrap. The two new plates contain 50% more chicken than the chain’s standard portion. The rollout began at most locations on November 10, with some Boston-area restaurants excluded from the new chicken offerings.
The menu also includes refreshed existing Plates and a cookie baked with sourdough starter. Those additions create more ways to assemble an evening order: a warm main, vegetables and a separate dessert. They do not establish that every customer wants a larger meal, or that adding a cookie makes the whole order better value.
Nation’s Restaurant News reported on November 10 that Sweetgreen has prepared ovens, tools and kitchen leadership for the launch. Its reporting also describes smaller batches produced more frequently during the day. That operational detail matters: a dinner proposition depends on what comes out of the kitchen late in the shift, not just on how the launch photograph looks.
For diners, the useful comparison is the complete meal. Look at the portion, sides, available sauces and final price before deciding whether to build an order around a Plate or another menu item. For operators, the test is repeatability. More substantial hot food can broaden an occasion, but only if preparation, holding and handoff work together when demand changes.
New Yorkers can also watch a planned demonstration outside the Union Square restaurant at 870 Broadway. Sweetgreen says its November 20 “Watch Us Cook” event will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with chefs cooking in a glass-enclosed kitchen and select samples available. Check the brand’s current event details before making a special trip. Find more restaurant developments in Brunch God’s Industry News.