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After a year of development and months of testing, Sweetgreens ripple fries land in the salad chains roughly 250 locations today. This is a way to show that you can come to Sweetgreen, eat a salad, and have a little bit of a permissible indulgence around fries, says CEO Jonathan Neman during an interview at the chains Los Angeles HQ. Better known for its healthy salads than starchy sides, Sweetgreens embrace of the traditional fast-food staple is also bound to raise eyebrows, coming from a company that has long coveted the ubiquity of McDonalds but long struggled with turning a profit from its higher priced healthy fare. (The company narrowed its net losses by 20% in 2024 to $90 million.) I think itll spark some conversation, Neman adds, smiling. And, of course, this being Sweetgreen, theres a health-conscious twist: These fries arent fried at all, at least in the traditional sense. A DIFFERENT KIND OF FRY Where most fast-food french fries are dunked in deep vats of canola oil, the ripple fries, a name that Sweetgreens chief concept officer Nicolas Jammet says they plan to trademark, achieve their crisp exterior via another route. Theyre tossed in avocado oil and potato starch, then air fried, or roasted at high heat inside an industrial convection oven. Each order comes with a choice of dipping sauces: a garlic aioli, which was recommended by a group of Sweetgreen customers, and a pickle ketchup, created in house. We dont think were really a ketchup brand, says Sweetgreen head of culinary Chad Brauze. But after some experimentingadding fistfuls of fresh dill and a little maple syrup to a batch of Sir Kensingtons ketchup, the team fell in love with it. Brauze, who previously worked in corporate kitchens at Burger King and Chipotle before joining Sweetgreen in 2023, has spent weeks training kitchen workers to make the fries. [Photo: Sweetgreen] Employees push each russet potato through a machine calibrated to slice them to a particular thickness, a process that takes about 25 minutes for 120 potatoes. Getting the right cut requires some practice, feeding one potato into the machine at a time under constant pressure. Brauze concedes that the cutting is a huge variable that, done incorrectly, could doom an entire batch. But its easy enough to master: During my time in Sweetgreens Los Angeles test kitchen, Nemans 4-year-old son came for a visit and fed a few potatoes through the machine with reasonably minimal assistance. Theyre cooked in batches every 30 minutes or so, and finished with salt and dried herbs. Jammet calls the end result craveable, a term common with fast-food execs describing menu items they hope will hook customers. This new side is no exception. And indeed, they taste similar to any other high-end french fry: a salty, crispy outside with a light and fluffy interior, but without the greasy aftereffect. (I absentmindedly finished a full container as we walked through the test kitchen and didnt need to wipe my hands on a napkin afterward.) It’s a standard taste for fries, but an unusual taste for Sweetgreen, which traditionally gets all of its crunch from romaine greens, croutons, and the occasional tortilla chip. MORE THAN JUST A SALAD PLACE Ripple fries are a splashy addition from Sweetgreen, which has been trying to push beyond salad for years, introducing dinner-friendly protein plates in late 2023, and permanently adding steak to its menu last year. Its all an effort to expand reach. The idea is making sure that we can define Sweetgreen around the approach to food and the belief in the food system that we want to change, says Jammet. Not just like, Thats a salad place. Sweetgreen has long touted its position as a kind of fast-food disruptor, offering high-quality food, made from scratch, sourced from ethical producers and free from additives like preservatives and food dyes. And its long appealed to the health-food set. In 2023, Neman announced Sweetgreen would work to reduce the amount of seed oil it used in its restaurants, and in January, it started promoting a limited-time, seed oil-free menu, which was received by some customersincorrectly, Neman saysas a political move. President Trumps controversial Cabinet pick to lead Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, has said Americans are being poisoned by seed oils. (Evidence suggests otherwise.) And during the early days of President Trumps first presidency, Sweetgreen made green hats bearing the slogan, Make America healthy again. The catchphrase has since been adopted by Kennedy as a kind of rallying call to supporters that include online wellness influencers. A few weeks before Trump’s second inauguration, Neman posted a photo of himself in the hat on X, writing that he was “glad the long overdue discussion on food and health has gone mainstream.” Despite the fact that social media discussions of seed oil have reached a fever pitch, Neman believes people on both sides of the aisle are responding to Sweetgreens effort to reduce its use of the ingredient. The seed oil move “has nothing to do with politics, he says. Actually, at the time [of the announcement], we were hearing about it from customers on the other side of the political spectrum. Were just listening to our guests. [Photo: Sweetgreen] A RIPPLE EFFECT Sweetgreen has spent months testing the fries in some of its 25 Los Angeles-area stores, but customer behavior has been unpredictable since Januarys devastatig fires. During the companys most recent earnings call, chief financial officer Mitch Reback said that the fires significantly disrupted operations in Los Angeles, where stores make up nearly 15% of Sweetgreens revenue. We know that people will attach it to their meal. The question is, will people come in more because of it? Neman says. Will it drive actual core transactions for us, or will it just drive ticket? Ideally, the fries do both, encouraging existing customers to add onto their orders and drawing more people into Sweetgreen stores. While in-store traffic was up slightly in 2024, 2% for the year, Sweetgreens same-store sales growth of 6% is mainly attributable to price increases. A craveable menu item could be a good way to boost same-store sales and encourage repeat visits. In the meantime, the company is working on delivering more efficiencies for its customers and investors. Sweetgreen plans to open 40 new restaurants in the next year; half will be robot-assisted Infinite Kitchens, which can dispense fresh ingredients into bowls at a rate of up to 500 per hour, enabling restaurants to service online orders and walk-in customers more quickly. It will also retrofit a couple of existing restaurants with the automated tech, prioritizing the busiest locations. Sweetgreen is planning to enter new markets, opening locations in Sacramento, Calif., Phoenix, Ariz., and Cincinnati, Ohio. As his chain moves into new places and more mealtimes, Neman sees the fries as becoming something of a calling cardperhaps as iconic as the salads that started it all. Its the first time we have a truly signature side, says Neman. The other sides were fine, but now we have this staple. And theyre really addictive.
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E-Commerce
Tesla’s sales of its China-made electric vehicles dropped 49.2% in February from a year earlier to 30,688 cars, the lowest since August 2022, as the U.S. automaker faces pressure from Chinese rivals in a relentless smart EV price war. Tesla, which makes its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China, sold 93,926 Chinese-made vehicles worldwide in the first two months, down 28.7% year-on-year, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). January-February sales were distorted by the Lunar New Year holiday shifting from February last year to late January this year and due to a partial suspension of Model Y production for upgrade work. Still, Chinese rival BYD, with its Dynasty and Ocean series of EVs and plug-in hybrids, recorded a 90.4% increase in passenger vehicle sales to 614,679 units last month. BYD deepened a three-year-old price war in the world’s largest auto market last month with the launch of smart EVsEVs equipped with advanced driving-assistance systemsstarting at below $10,000. That prompted peers including Leapmotor and Geely to follow suit with affordable smart EV rollouts. Both Tesla models made in China are smart EVs. Tesla also exports its China-made EVs to markets including Europe, where sales plunged 45% in January. To increase the appeal of its aging models, Tesla made a long-awaited update to its autopilot software in China to enable city navigation in late February. It also kicked off deliveries of the revamped Model Y in its second-largest market. Model Y was the best-selling car in China itself in 2023 and 2024, although Chinese rivals have launched at least six models in the past year to take on Model Y. Tesla still benefits from a brand halo in China but analysts have said Xiaomi’s YU7 crossover to be launched later this year would be the strongest rival. Sales of the Onvo L60, which Nio launched in April to compete with Model Y and Toyota’s RAV4, fell to 4,049 units in February. Nio Chief Executive William Li expects the model will reach monthly deliveries of 20,000 units in March, which he is counting on to improve Nio’s profitability. Qiaoyi Li, Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh, Reuters
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E-Commerce
If you have any vegetable products in your kitchen, youll want to be aware of the latest recall posted on the website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall involves numerous vegetable products and fears that they could be a breeding ground for Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which can produce the deadly botulinum toxin. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened? On March 3, the FDA posted the notice of a voluntary recall from AKT Trading Inc. of Torrance, California. The recall was initiated after the company discovered that some of the prepared vegetable products manufactured by Choshiya Honten Co., Ltd had the potential to harbor the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. That bacterium can produce a toxin called botulinum, which can lead to a botulism infection in a person who consumes it. The reason the recalled products have the potential to harbor the potentially deadly bacterium is because the required “Keep Refrigerated” statement was left off the packaging. If the vegetables are not refrigerated, it could enable the bacterium to grow. Which products are affected? According to the FDA notice, the following products with the brand name Japanese Pickles, packaged in 1 lb plastic bags, are included in the recall: SHIBA ZUKE PREPARED MIX VEGETABLES, JAN CODE (UPC): 4582207535128, Expiration date: 8/27/2025 AOKAPPA ZUKE PREPARED MIX VEGETABLES, JAN CODE (UPC): 4582207535135, Expiration Date: 5/14/2025 FUKUSHIN ZUKE PREPARED MIX VEGETABLES, JAN CODE (UPC): 4582207535142, Expiration date: 7/9/2025, 5/31/2025 SOFT TSUBOZUKE PREPARED MIX VEGETABLES, JAN CODE (UPC): 4582207535159, Expiration Date: 7/29/2025 RAKKYO ZUKE PREPARED VEGETABLES, JAN CODE (UPC): 4983673526021, Expiration Date: 8/1/2025, 7/1/2025 Additionally, the following product is also included in the recall: Brand name: CHOSHIYA Product name: ABURA-ITAME ZHASAI PREPARED SICHUAN VEGETABLE Container: 8.8oz. plastic bag JAN CODE (UPC): 4983673527325 Expiration date: 4/3/2025, 2/25/2025 The products were distributed at Tokyo Central / Marukai stores in California. The full details of the recalled products can be found here. This recall follows an earlier recall of prepared bamboo shoots. The details of that earlier recall can be found here. What is botulism? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), botulism is a rare but serious disease. The condition is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum and other related bacteria. There are five types of botulism, including foodborne botulism, and all are medical emergencies. Botulism occurs when the toxin attacks the bodys nerves. This can lead to a number of issues, including muscle paralysis and difficulty breathing. It can even cause death. The CDC says that any form of botulism is a medical emergency that necessitates an immediate visit to your doctor or emergency room. What are the symptoms of botulism? Symptoms can vary depending on what type of botulism a person has. The CDC says symptoms related to all forms of botulism may include: Difficulty swallowing Muscle weakness Double vision Drooping eyelids Blurry vision Slurred speech Difficulty breathing Difficulty moving the eyes Foodborne botulism symptoms may also include: Vomiting Nausea Stomach pain Diarrhea And symptoms of botulism in an infant may also include: Constipation Poor feeding Drooping eyelids Pupils that are slow to react to light Face showing less expression than usual Weak cry that sounds different than usual What do I do if I have the recalled products? Do not consume them. Instead, the recalled products should be discarded or returned to their place of purchase for a refund. Full details of the recall can be found here. Consumers who have more questions can contact AKT Trading Inc. at 310-715-2174 or email the company at info@aktusa.com.
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E-Commerce
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