Sweetgreen Fuels Healthcare Heroes Amid COVID-19

When COVID-19 hit, Sweetgreen saw that America’s frontline healthcare workers needed access to healthy, convenient meals to fuel their busy days attending to patients.

The company swiftly acted in March with its Impact Outpost program, where free Sweetgreen meals are delivered to healthcare workers. Sweetgreen also opened new “outposts,” or locations where Sweetgreen employees drop off mobile-order meals, in hospitals throughout the areas they serve.

Two weeks later, Sweetgreen teamed up with José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to launch the Impact Outpost Fund, dedicated to raising money for feeding healthcare heroes.

“We’re so grateful for the hospital workers and medical personnel who are putting others before themselves during this critical time. In the midst of the current crisis, we’re dedicating our Outpost operations and teams to support those on the front lines by delivering free, fresh sg salads and bowls to hospitals in the cities we serve,” the company said ina recent statement.

The Value of Safety

Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet, and Nathaniel Ru founded Sweetgreen in 2007 with a mission to connect people to real food, foster sustainable food systems, and inspire healthier communities.

While Sweetgreen was expanding their outposts in support of health workers, the company was also doubling down on another core value: fostering and protecting the health of their customers and the communities they serve.

To help maintain customer health and safety, Sweetgreen implemented strict and thoughtful new safety standards. Whether ordering delivery or pickup, Sweetgreen’s safety changes include: moving some team members outside to assist with pickup lines, new sanitizing stations placed inside stores for customers who retrieve their orders at indoor pickup stations, and a new contactless payment system.

Additionally, Sweetgreen staff have upheld vigorous produce washing and food audits, implemented increased sanitation schedules, and adhere to mask requirements, using plastic cashier shields, and taking daily wellness checks. To ensure the safety of those receiving delivery and the couriers themselves, Sweetgreen implemented tamper-proof packaging, a contactless “leave at door” delivery option for customers and providing sanitization and wellness materials for delivery personnel at outposts.

“The news around COVID-19 is constantly changing, as are the needs of each community. We are prepared to move quickly, reevaluate closures, and return to normal operations when it is safe to do so,” said the company in a recent statement.

For more on how Sweetgreen is stepping up to keep health workers fed and employees and customers safe, visit sweetgreen.com.

About the authors

Kelly Rosenblatt

Kelly Rosenblatt is the former Social Media and Digital Operations Project Manager at the U.S. Chamber.