Updated as of 11:12 a.m.
Sweetgreen, based in Los Angeles, will open its first restaurant drive-thru lane featuring its Infinite Kitchen robotics technology in Costa Mesa on November 18.
This will be the chain’s first sweetlane attached to a location with a robotic kitchen, which takes on the process of assembling meals.
Known for its menu of salads, bowls and plates, the fast-casual chain designed sweetlane to be a drive-up option for digital orders and was introduced as a pilot concept in 2022. The company said that nowadays more than a third of Sweetgreen orders are placed digitally.
“As we expand the format across new markets, Costa Mesa represents an exciting next step in our journey to make healthy eating more convenient and accessible, without compromising on quality or experience,” Chief Development Officer Chris Tarrant said in a statement.
The new 2,295-square-foot restaurant in Costa Mesa, near John Wayne Airport on Bristol Street, marks the chain’s sixth location in Orange County. It made its OC debut at the Irvine Spectrum Center in 2023 and has since opened in Newport Beach, Tustin, Laguna Niguel and Huntington Beach — some of which operate with robotic kitchens.
Shares of Sweetgreen Inc., with a market cap of $647 million, were up 4.5% to $5.47 apiece during midday trading (NYSE: SG).
