While the UWS has been mourning the loss of many eateries, it’s been brought to our attention that Sweetgreen appears to be expanding with a fourth Upper West Side location. Tipster ‘Upper West Sider’ informed us that Sweetgreen has signed a lease to take over two empty locations previously occupied by Unleashed by Petco and GNC at 159 and Columbus Avenue (between 67th and 68th Streets).
Sweetgreen currently has three Upper West Side locations – these can be found at 311 Amsterdam (between 74th and 75th Streets), 2460 Broadway (corner of 91st Street), and 2937 Broadway (between 114th and 115th Streets).
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According to a Department of Buildings document, the chain salad company filed paperwork on August 10th to do renovations in the space at 159 Columbus Avenue. According to the document, the total cost of construction is $300,000.
In addition, Winick Realty’s recently published flyer for the retail space at 159 Columbus Avenue lists Sweetgreen as a neighbor. View here.
Sweetgreen has been expanding quite a bit over the past few years.
“With a mountain of cash on hand and extensive investments in technology, marketing, and infrastructure underway, spreading the Sweetgreen Gospel across America is no longer a distant aspiration, but a mandate,” reported the NY Times in an article earlier this year. “We can’t stop now, because this doesn’t work at 100 restaurants. The next stop is 1,000,” Sweetgreen’s co-founder and chief executive, Jonathan Neman, told the Times.
Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen is now a NYC staple. They serve up seasonal, healthy food, and also make note of the communities they support. Sweetgreen is also known for being environmentally friendly
“Our guests don’t go to a Sweetgreen, they go to their Sweetgreen, and each space is a reflection of the community it’s a part of. In the spirit of keeping it real, we seek to preserve and honor the natural structure of a building, and we actively seek distinctive spaces with interesting history,” states the Sweetgreen website.
Regulars of the popular salad spot are there to eat healthy, but also appreciate the sleek design of the stores. When the first NYC store opened in 2013, they hired architecture firm Leong Leong, which is well known for working with art galleries and fashion brands. There is a trendy minimalist aesthetic that customers like.
More: New & Opening Soon
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Sweetgreen would be one of several new additions heading to the area. Le Botaniste, a plant based organic food and wine bar, will be opening at 156 Columbus Avenue, and Jack’s Wife Freda, which offers a fusion of Israeli and South African influenced plates, has signed a lease at 148 Columbus Avenue.
We’ve reached out to several Sweetgreen reps and will provide an update once we have more info.
Another Grey’s Papaya location would probably be more suitable for where the neighborhood is headed.