Birmingham's Sweetgreen opening August 9

By Lisa Brody

Sweetgreen, a popular fast casual salad restaurant originally out of Washington D.C., will be opening its first local location at 167 N. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham on Tuesday, August 9.

Menu items include salads such as their blackened chicken salad, steelhead remoulade, guacamole greens, kale or farmhouse caesar, garden cobb and super green goddess. Other menu items include warm bowls, from a fish taco bowl and chicken pesto parm bowl to a shroomami bowl and crispy rice bowl. They also incorporate local bowls to locations and patrons can make their own salads with favorite ingredients.

Sweetgreen was started on August 1, 2007, two months after three friends graduated from college in Washington D.C. “We started sweetgreen as three college students, Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru, who were simply looking for a healthier way to eat,” they state on their website. “When we were in school, there were two choices: food that was slow, expensive and fresh – or fast, cheap and unhealthy. We saw an opportunity to create a business where quality was never sacrificed for convenience.”

Sweetgreen's mission includes a commitment to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2027 and make every effort towards sustainability. They work closely with food suppliers to help implement industry-leading strategies for carbon minimization. In addition, “We optimize our building materials from construction to furniture, investing in clean energy, and industrial equipment to make a minimal impact. Our restaurants are designed to contribute to a more sustainable future by embodying our values in a tangible way while broadening access to real food across the country.”