Sweetgreen is jumping on the fast-casual catering bandwagon with the launch of a new Build Your Own Bar.
The company on Thursday unveiled a new format, available nationwide at select locations, designed for group occasions of 10 to up to 10,000.
Guests can create a “bar” at their home or office (or wherever) with multiple bases (greens and grains), a choice of protein, a variety of toppings, house-made dressings and other optional upgrades, like the addition of steak, salmon and avocado. It also includes bread.
Pricing packages start at $200 for 10, the company said.
The 280-unit Sweetgreen already has a catering menu, but that includes a choice of individual bowls and bundles. This new format allows guests to build their own.
Build Your Own Sweetgreen Bar is not unlike Chipotle’s relatively new format, dubbed “Groupotle,” which is also a build-your-own-off-premise option. But Chipotle’s is designed for smaller group occasions, feeding four to six. And it can be ordered and ready for pickup within about 15 minutes.
Chipotle’s small-group format was designed to raise awareness for its larger-group catering, which CEO Scott Boatwright believes that brand can grow.
Earlier this week, Chipotle said it is expanding a promotion of Groupotle as it prepares an expansion of catering with new technology and equipment. Both big- and small-group catering represents about 3% of sales, but Boatwright believes that could reach double digits.
“Build-your-own Chipotle continues to perform,” he said. “It is also highly incremental and driving strong repeat purchases, which is why we are extending our trial promotion into 2026 to build on our momentum.”
Fast-casual competitor Cava is also testing catering, which was expanded to two markets late last year.
Sweetgreen is promoting the new format at a Super Bowl-related event on Feb. 7 in San Francisco at the famed Ferry Building’s South Plaza. Passersby will be able to explore the format there and enter for a chance to win up to $400 for a Big Game celebration the next day, at least if they live within 10 miles of Sweetgreen’s Folsom + Main location.
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