On the heels of opening its Tustin eatery in August, Sweetgreen, the growing Los Angeles-based fast-casual salad chain, debuted its newest location on Tuesday, Dec. 12. in Huntington Beach.
What makes this Sweetgreen different from the company’s 220-plus restaurants across the United States is its use of automated food-preparing technology; a machine christened “Infinite Kitchen” tends to back-of-house duties — i.e., the bulk of salad and bowl preparation.
The Infinite Kitchen, which takes up a good chunk of space behind the counter, works accordingly: Guests go up to an island with six touch tablets where they place their own orders. (Customers can also place orders via Sweetgreen’s mobile app.) After placing an order, an estimated wait time appears on the screen, usually around three to five minutes. A team member places a bowl on Infinite Kitchen’s conveyor belt. The bowl then moves under a series of temperature-controlled cabinets holding see-through tubes dispensing such ingredients as proteins, greens, grains, dressings and other assorted toppings. Once the bowl reaches the finish line, a staff member takes care of the dish’s final touches (like affixing lids, adding avocado or making sure the order appears aesthetically pleasing) and then hands off the meal to the customer.
SEE ALSO: Salad spot Sweetgreen opens second O.C. restaurant in Tustin
At top speed, the machine can create 500 salads and bowls in an hour, roughly 50% faster than humans can. Time Magazine, which named Sweetgreen Infinite Kitchen one of the top inventions of 2023, wrote in October, “Eventually, co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman says all new Sweetgreen outlets will come with an Infinite Kitchen.”
Members of the press were given a tour of the new Huntington Beach eatery — one of only two Sweetgreen that use such technology, with the first located in Naperville, Illinois — by company co-founder and chief concept officer Nicolas Jammet. When asked how many employees were hired at this store compared to other non-automated Sweetgreen locations, Jammet wouldn’t reveal a specific number, only saying, “It’s less.”
Jammet also said, “Just to be clear, the machine isn’t cooking anything, it’s doing the line work. We still have folks doing all the chopping, cutting and stuff like that.”
In addition its standard menu of salads and grain bowls, Sweetgreen now offers new protein plates, which include miso-glazed salmon, hot honey chicken, and southwest chicken fajita. The company makes a point of using California suppliers for its Orange County locations, featuring Golden State growers like Ontario’s Drake Family Farms goat cheese, Coastal Fresh romaine and cilantro and bread care of Santa Ana-based Bread Artisan.
Orange County’s third Sweetgreen moves into the old Java Bakery Cafe at 5 Points Plaza. Another Orange County location is expected to open inside Newport Beach’s Fashion Island sometime in 2024.
Find it: 18685 Main St, suite 107, Huntington Beach
