Sweetgreen, co-founded by Nicolas Jammet and his friends in 2007, faced significant challenges right from their inception. A burglary two days before their opening left them without crucial operational documents. Despite these setbacks and the harsh winter impact on foot traffic, they adapted their menu and marketing strategies, securing their survival. Creative initiatives like impromptu DJ sessions to attract customers eventually led to the brand's expansion, demonstrating the power of perseverance and innovation in entrepreneurship.
They opened anyway and made it work. Then winter hit. Georgetown emptied out, foot traffic disappeared and their 560-square-foot salad shop teetered on the edge. 'We almost didn't make it out alive,' he recalls.
We stayed up for 48 hours straight, trying to piece it all back together. There was no backup,
So they improvised: They got a speaker from Guitar Center, and Ru performed a sidewalk DJ set while they handed out samples. It worked - people looked up, traffic trickled in and then, gradually, things started improving.
It wasn't pretty, but it was enough to keep going.
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