Salad chain Sweetgreen said it is transitioning to using extra virgin olive oil as its cooking oil for all proteins, vegetables, and grains, beginning Oct. 24.
“Reimagining fast food goes beyond the kitchen and starts with a strong, transparent supply chain,” said Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen’s co-founder and chief concept officer. “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. 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 chain said it is partnering with Bari Olive Oil Co., a family-owned company and one of the oldest olive oil companies in the United States, for much of its EVOO supply. Operating since 1936, Bari is 100 percent domestically cultivated and produced in California, using organic, sustainable practices, according to Sweetgreen.
Kyle Sawatzky, president of Bari Olive Oil, which is a member of Specialty Food Association, said the company has only recently been making a push into foodservice, and Sweetgreen is its largest restaurant chain partner.
“They have been fantastic to work with,” he told SFA News Daily.
Based in the central California city of Dinuba, Bari has supplied some local restaurant operators but has primarily been focused on retail distribution, both as a branded company and as a private label supplier, Sawatzky said.
“Foodservice is something we're just getting into,” he said. “Retail has been our main bread and butter.”
Bari, named after the city in Italy where the company’s founders came from, makes much of its EVOO from olives grown on its own family groves, but it also sources from other local family farms.
The company has created a sustainable system that leverages every part of the olive, including using the pomace — the ground pit and leftover meat — of the olive for cattle feed, and repurposing the water used during milling for irrigating its trees, according Sweetgreen. The company also grows a drought-friendly crop.
In addition to Bari, Sweetgreen is working with Texas Olive Ranch to supply its 17 locations in the Texas market. A fourth-generation family farm, Texas Olive Ranch produces cold-pressed olive oil free of additives and preservatives, Sweetgreen said.
Sweetgreen also said it is exploring the use of avocado oil for cooking. It introduced a new red wine vinaigrette dressing with an avocado oil base as part of its summer menu, and the dressing was “an instant fan-favorite,” Sweetgreen said. The new dressing has since become a permanent ingredient in custom bowls and is featured in signature salads such as the Italian Chopped.
As of its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Sweetgreen owned and operated 205 restaurants in 18 states, with more locations on the way. The company focuses on fresh, seasonal dishes and prioritizes organic, regenerative, and local sourcing.
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