At Large with Scott Norton #20: Nicolas Jammet - Greens to Greatness
Henry Ford famously said, "If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." When sweetgreen was founded in 2007, nobody was asking for a chain of fast casual salad restaurants. But sweetgreen reframes the question - how do you make healthy food convenient and cool?
My guest today is Nicolas Jammet, one of the three co-founders of sweetgreen, and the one most responsible for its food. Sweetgreen is one of the great brands built by our generation that's found itself woven into the fabric of cosmopolitan culture. Seventeen years after opening its first location, sweetgreen now operates over 250 restaurants and, as of this recording, is valued at nearly $5 billion as a public company.
I have known Nic for over 10 years, and sweetgreen has been a fantastic partner to Sir Kensington's, having used a number of our condiments over the years including our mayonnaise in the dressing of their famous Kale Caesar.
In this conversation, we'll talk about what it takes to stick together as a trio of co-founders through thick and thin, the value of leadership coaching, how he approaches culinary innovation without alienating their audience, and how automation surprisingly helps hospitality rather than hinders it.
Special thanks to Andrea Hernandez of Snaxshot whose readers submitted questions for Nic to answer in this interview.
Please enjoy my conversation with the sultan of salad, Nicolas Jammet.
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Special Announcement - LA Wildfires:
We recorded this conversation in December of last year. However, as of this writing, disastrous wildfires in Los Angeles have displaced over 10,000 people and taken 25 lives over the past two weeks. Los Angeles is where I live along with many of our guests, and where we record the show. While the fires are now largely contained, it's been a traumatic moment. If you've suffered as a result of these fires, I have all the faith in your resilience a - even in the face of uncertainty.
If you've in any way been part of the relief effort, on behalf of everyone whose lives have been derailed - I give you my genuine thanks, including to Nic, our guest on today’s show. As an LA-based company, Sweetgreen has been focusing the past two weeks on supporting its community and providing meals for firefighters, first responders and displaced families.
To support Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts as a volunteer or donor visit:: https://lacity.gov/LAstrong
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Website Show Notes:
- La Caravelle
- Keith Miller
- Row 7 Seeds
- Dan Barber
- The Third Plate
- Snaxshot by Andrea Hernandez
- The Anxious Generation
- Jen Stark
- Austyn Weiner
- Leong Leong Architecture
Support Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts: https://lacity.gov/LAstrong
📸@swhnorton
🐦@swhnorton
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