Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen, a fast-casual restaurant chain in the food and beverage industry, laid off 5% of its support center workforce in mid-2022 as part of cost-cutting measures. The layoffs, announced alongside a downsizing to a smaller office, were driven by weaker-than-expected sales that began around Memorial Day, attributed to summer travel, a slow return to offices, and new COVID-19 cases. The company, which had around 2,800 total employees at the time, also lowered its annual revenue forecast. These steps were taken to reduce operating expenses and move toward profitability amid a challenging post-pandemic market environment.

Sweetgreen, a fast-casual salad chain in the food and beverage industry, laid off 10% of its headquarters staff in late March 2020, affecting 35 employees out of 350 at its Culver City, Los Angeles office. The layoffs were a response to plunging revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted in-store dining. Despite being a tech-forward company with strong online ordering, the broader restaurant industry devastation led to these cuts, which were executed abruptly, leaving employees surprised after earlier assurances of job security.