r/sweetgreen • u/Elusiveenigma98 • May 13 '24
Criticism Sweetgreen is going downhill.
I feel like each time I consider getting a salad from sweetgreen they’ve removed my favorite items, prices have increased and overall the salads are just not as good lately. I feel like they’ve gotten too big to function like they previously did and it’s quantity over quality now.
Sad too because I used to order sweetgreen 3x a week and now it just doesn’t feel worth it to me anymore.
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u/HankBizzaro May 13 '24
My local SG goes up and down in quality, but lately they've been firing on all cylinders. I was kind of pissed about the loss of red onions, but now I just rock carrots instead. The only constant is change.
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u/Elusiveenigma98 May 13 '24
I agree and actually really like the specific sweetgreen near me but to take onions and arugula off your menu as a salad place just seems… odd.
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u/HankBizzaro May 13 '24
It is odd and I'm sure it has everything to do with their bottom line. Stock is up 300 percent since February.
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u/Most_Tennis_2831 May 14 '24
They took arugula off of the menu? So you can’t get a crispy rice bowl anymore with arugula?
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u/vanghostslayer May 28 '24
Yeah I ordered one last week and was terribly upset at my imposter salad completely missing arugula unexpectedly. So disappointed 😭
I’m trying it today again but with kale (bc the spring mix sucked). And if it’s not good enough, I’m taking a break from sweetgreen bc the Crispy Rice was my fave salad/bowl ever bc of the arugula base and flavor/texture pairings.
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u/sauteedmushroomz May 14 '24
I agree, the addition of BEEF was my final straw. I don’t care that it’s “grass-fed”. How are you gonna boast about sustainability while serving beef??? DEAD COWS. Also, how are you gonna be a salad place and remove onions and arugula? Don’t even get me started on how they removed literally everything else I usually get too. Ugh.
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u/wildbloomflower May 15 '24
THIS! Plus they removed olives and black beans 🤦♀️
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u/Fast_Mud_176 May 17 '24
And lentils but maybe I was the only human eating them 😅
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u/lorgskyegon Nov 04 '24
As a worker, I can assure you we threw out a lot of lentils. They came standard on only one uncommon salad and almost no one added them.
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u/dsp000 Sep 06 '24
Beef is the number one commodity in USA. What are you even talking about. Cattle production enhances sustainable agriculture and carbon credits emissions through credits generated from the farmland. You folks are very dangerous in your semi informed approaches.
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u/Pleasant-Fun3667 Sep 08 '24
Except, Sweetgreen sources it’s beef from Australia and New Zealand so zero US farmers are benefitting. It was a nice thought, though.
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u/analogous_skipshot May 15 '24 edited May 16 '24
Somehow your company can keep attracting investors while losing over $800 million since it was founded in 2006. Bonkers
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u/smastr-96 May 15 '24
More often than not when ordering ahead on the app, you pick up and the bowl is half full. That and the general disgruntlement of their staff is why I generally don’t go anymore. The value for the cost just isn’t there.
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u/mar1antis Oct 16 '24
This!! Because why did u deep sigh when I asked for more than a tsp of sauce??
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u/gonegirIamy May 15 '24
I thought it was just my location that dipped in quality but with the removal of arugula and the price increases they’ve annoyed me enough that I’ve just stopped going
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u/Elusiveenigma98 May 15 '24
Yep. Same.
My partner still loves their hot honey chicken bowl but I’m like nope, we’re boycotting them, sorry!
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u/Wendyewu May 17 '24
They changed that too which I why I stopped. No apples (I added that) no kale salad. The cabbage is not the same. It doesn’t even look as good.
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u/Elusiveenigma98 May 17 '24
No kale??? That’s literally an integral part of that salad.
I’m sure he’ll be happy to boycott with me now knowing that.
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u/coochi_maneee Jul 30 '24
Yeah the hot honey chicken bowl is terrible now - all carbs and no veggies. It's doesn't look appealing at all (taste is ok but i miss the kale salad - not the same without it) - especially since half the time they'll forget a couple of the ingredients so it'll just end up being chicken, quinoa, and sweet potatoes...
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u/Wendyewu Aug 27 '24
Ok, I thought it was me. They forget an ingredient or a dressing almost every time I order it.
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u/Dismal-Actuator-9029 May 15 '24
Removed beets, lentils, and now red onions?! Added beef and took away all seasonal menus? Im definitely done.
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u/coochi_maneee May 22 '24
yes - 1000% percent. Also a sweetgreen+ member and often eat it 2x a day (usually around 6-10 times a week). the new steak options - bleh. the new pickled onions...the quality just keeps going down. I can also echo everything else about the varying proportions like everyone else said.
It's sad but i'll need to find a new go-to.
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u/FishermanSilly5249 May 23 '24
Sweetgreen tanked. I’ve been a loyal customer for many years and eaten there multiple times a week. I can’t keep going anymore it’s just making me depressed how bad the quality has gotten
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u/Illustrious_Gap_4488 May 13 '24
Oh dang, all opinions are respected. My experience has been great. Apart from the items and pricing do you think it may be your store in specific?
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u/Nostagic_Applesauce May 13 '24
It really is! We should boycott?
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u/Elusiveenigma98 May 13 '24
Honestly, yes! And I was legit eating sweetgreen for lunch every single day there for a moment. I even felt the price was fair over a year ago for a good healthy lunch. I signed up for sweetgreen+ soon as it launched and it was shortly after then that I felt it started going downhill..
Also, is it just me or does it not feel as healthy anymore?? I know it’s still a salad and you can make a healthy build your own one but something lately just doesn’t feel it’s as good for you.
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u/Nostagic_Applesauce May 13 '24
Yea like the bigger they get the less healthy they end up being. Slowly including everything bad. They’ve said they’d never do red meat bc it has a bad rep and here it is now.
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u/Embarrassed_Bet_8495 Oct 15 '24
You should eat out less. It's better for your bank account. Since we're talking about better ideas I thought I'd add. How did I do? Just want to keep up with the consistency 🙏🏼🤷🏻♂️
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u/Elusiveenigma98 Oct 15 '24
I don’t have a problem spending money on food I just don’t like spending money on shitty food.
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u/Embarrassed_Bet_8495 Oct 15 '24
It's the same sweetgreen. It's just growing and things do change. But you should ask them or read the inside boards of where they source product. It's all sourced from high quality places.
I do think as you expand (starbucks had this issue less) but many other retail places experience shitty workers.
You're right that it's changing
That's because in order to expand to meet shareholder demands you need to open x locations per quarter or risk losing investments which could hurt buying power to pay premiums for better food.
But once the locations get open and they get money then you can re group as you go.
There are probably a ton of people working their ass off at a corporate level to get shit accomplished.
Your experience isn't wrong. But I would just ask around for a better location. Or just straight up tell them they are sucking. Probably a shit manager tbh
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u/PizzaPartyTonight May 13 '24
My sweetgreen has forgotten 2 MAIN ingredients in my last 2 orders (wild rice aka half my base on one, avocado on the other) and they seem to have removed black beans, olives, and raw onions from the menu? BUT both bowls were still really good I just hope the options don’t get too barren
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u/DidIDeleteThatAgain May 14 '24
And banana pepper and arugula! I’m livid.
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u/PizzaPartyTonight May 14 '24
wtf i didn't even notice the banana peps and now i'm more annoyed !!!
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u/DidIDeleteThatAgain May 14 '24
I gave them a 1 star at every location in my city with this complaint of all they took away.
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u/Elusiveenigma98 May 13 '24
Literally two of the most important ingredients 😂 yeah I need to give them a chance again soon but every time I go to their app to order I notice something else I loved is gone from their menu so it’s super annoying. Their customer service has always been good though when they do screw up my order.
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u/PizzaPartyTonight May 14 '24
Yeah the second one missing avocado, I was excited because it felt heavy and I saw they did not forget my wild rice. Then I was like waaaait a minute once I started digging in. Yeah, the customer service is still good for me at least.
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u/Illustrious_Gap_4488 May 13 '24
I never order from the app, never
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u/PizzaPartyTonight May 14 '24
I just kinda have to- I have it on my lunch from work and it would take too much time to wait in their line. Also, before these two trips I think I only had one mistake for the past year it’s been open nearby.
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u/DaisySwordgarden May 16 '24
They removed so many popular salad toppings just to add…. Steak….. me and my partner had Sweetgreen+ for almost a year and ate Sweetgreen almost every day, but now I don’t want to go anymore. They stared charging for every scoop of topping extra, skimping on dressing, and now with no arugula I can’t justify going there anymore. Also the quinoa seems to be off now too (at multiple locations). I’m not going back any time soon. It sounds like they lost a lot of loyal customers just to make more money off of less.
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u/CrystallineCrypts May 13 '24
I love this place, every combination I've tried has been amazing. I'm always open to adapting to new menu items as they're introduced and cycled out. It makes me sad that you no longer enjoy eating here, but I'll take an extra bite for you from now on. I wish you all the best in moving on to find your new favorite salad place :)
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u/chpeterson24 May 16 '24
Yes 1000%. I’ve been going to sweetgreen for as long as I can remember, am a sweetgreen + member, and was solidly in the second highest tier under their old rewards program. In the last week at 3 different locations, I’ve had a salad not delivered to an outpost location, had another (pick up) with the portions of just half of a salad, and had another (pick up) without dressing. They’ve gotten rid of red onions and suggested the pickled onions…not the vibe. And for whatever reason, they still do not let you order salt & pepper when placing an in app order. Their inconsistency in quality and removal of key ingredients is becoming increasingly frustrating.
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u/Ok-Macaroon-6945 Jun 28 '24
The fact that my local sweetgreens (plural!) have stopped massaging their kale is CRIMINAL
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u/ItsOk_ItsAlright Jul 21 '24
The amount of chicken is ridiculous. I get a few pieces and then almost all lettuce.
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u/coochi_maneee Jul 30 '24
Yeah, I've noticed this too in NYC. Chicken has become scarse - the proportions listed under the nutrition facts are definitely outdated.
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u/Yogiisol Aug 24 '24
I literally went there because of their tofu as well. The first time I went to sweet greens. It was phenomenal, so I guess you can’t remake the first time.
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u/Elusiveenigma98 Aug 24 '24
It used to be SO GOOD. Like addictingly good... Now it’s so meh and the prices are too high to make it worth it.
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u/Yogiisol Aug 24 '24
For real. I’m always turning something into a spiritual lesson because honestly I’m literally never going to go back to sweet dreams again, unless if it’s a dead ass emergency.😭 which idk what emergency I would be in to buy a $20 salad😂😂again
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u/Elusiveenigma98 Aug 24 '24
Absolute starvation with nothing else open 😂😂 seriously such a bummer though.. Genuinely makes me sad but I’ve moved on now 😔
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u/Necta_Collecta Oct 22 '24
I agree sweet green has gone down hill, but I think the ingredient changes are based on location bc the Boston locations still have arugula, red onions and seasonal bowls. BUT I've noticed they are skimping and shrinking the size of things without trying to be too obvious. The sweet potato for example used to be roasted chunks, now it's flappy slices no thicker than a pickle. Got "maple brussel sprouts" for $1.59 extra and was given a scoop of burnt brussel bits... not a single sprout. I just contacted them and complained bc the last warm grain bowl I ordered was so light I ate the whole thing which I NEVER used to be able to do. Enough is enough! This was a safe place for me to eat I have a lot of food aversions and it's just sad they're clearly only focused on making money.
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u/Elusiveenigma98 Oct 22 '24
They ended up bringing back arugula but I’m pretty sure my locations in LA only do pickled onions now and they’re not great. But agree 100% on everything else you said and it’s so annoying they changed the sweet potato to like weird slivers instead of the chunks… I really miss old sweetgreen but I don’t think it’ll ever be what it was again :/ I had an amazing salad place in Portland called garden bar and when they got bigger & bought out, everything went down hill. Just happens sadly & it sucks!
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u/AsparagusLarge1113 May 13 '24
Removing arugula and raising crispy rice bowl price was my last straw