‘Never waste a crisis’: Sweetgreen cofounder on stolen recipes, the cyclospora cyclone and their first-ever chef-in-residence

Sweetgreen, the salad chain that doesn't use iceberg lettuce or buy it from Mexico, faced a cyclospora outbreak in the summer of 2025. Federal investigators linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico, causing the company to cut its full-year outlook and project a 7% to 8% decline in same-store sales. The CDC declared the outbreak over on September 11, but the incident had already made headlines.

Sweetgreen's cofounder Nic Jammet expressed concern that these headlines may have influenced people to believe that highly processed food is the safer alternative. Despite the challenges, Sweetgreen's stock has gained nearly 28% year-to-date, and foot traffic data shows a 5.6% year-over-year increase in visits per location. To address the fallout, Sweetgreen named cookbook author Molly Baz its first chef-in-residence, signaling a shift in menu offerings.

Jammet emphasized the importance of staying focused on the customer and supply chain, rather than getting distracted by the narrative of a food crisis. He also highlighted the chain's commitment to using high-quality ingredients and creating dishes that customers can enjoy every day, moving beyond the "slop bowl" label.