Sweetgreen announced on Wednesday that it will use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to cook all of its protein, veggies and grains starting Oct. 24. The company said it is the first national restaurant chain to do so.
“Reimagining fast food goes beyond the kitchen and starts with a strong, transparent supply chain. In addition to partnering with suppliers and growers we trust, we take into account how every ingredient is prepared, down to the oil it’s cooked in,” said Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen co-founder and chief concept officer. “While we know there’s more work to do, we hope this change raises the bar and continues to inspire our industry to make quality products more accessible.”
The Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain is using the brand Bari Olive Oil Company. Bari has been in operation since 1936 in the U.S. and produces all of its olive oil in California.
The olives at Bari are milled within 24 hours of harvest, creating a premium product that Sweetgreen said customers across the country love. Using a drought-friendly crop, Bari has created a sustainable system taking advantage of every part of the olive.
In addition to Bari, Sweetgreen is introducing local olive oil to some regional restaurants, starting with those in Texas. The chain’s 17 units in Texas will use Texas Olive Ranch for their olive oil. A fourth-generation family farm, Texas Olive Ranch produces cold-pressed olive oil free of additives and preservatives.
In addition to EVOO, Sweetgreen is experimenting with using avocado oil as an additional cooking oil. This is after the brand released a red wine vinaigrette using avocado oil as the base that the company said has been an instant hit and is used in the chain’s Italian Chopped salad.
