Change of Plans for Sweetgreen Robots
Excerpt:
“I don’t think you’ll see them in every single store for the reason that we have a lot of older smaller stores in the D.C. area and Philadelphia, and we would probably not go back and retrofit,” Reback said. “We’ve disclosed that 50% of new stores will use the Infinite Kitchen model.”
Sweetgreen’s Infinite Kitchen store models were developed in partnership with robot-powered kitchen Spyce, which Sweetgreen acquired in 2021. The automation technology passes bowls down a conveyer belt rather than having humans stand at each station. The first Infinite Kitchen store opened outside of Chicago in May and saw a 26% margins lift over the first few weeks of operation.
Here’s a summary:
- Change in Automation Plans: Sweetgreen has decided to backtrack on its previous goal of becoming a fully automated chain by 2028.
- Initial Ambitions: The company initially aimed for full automation to cut labor costs and improve efficiency.
- Current Stance: Sweetgreen now believes that a blend of automation and human touch will better serve its customers and employees.
- Future Outlook: The company will continue to explore automation but with a more balanced approach.
