Skip to content

Food & Drink

Sweetgreen Opens First Seattle-Area Location

Popular and fast-growing healthy food chain plans more Seattle outlets

By Rob Smith January 9, 2024

Italian Chopped, BBQ Chicken, and Elote Bowl
Italian Chopped, BBQ Chicken, and Elote Bowl
Photo by Micah Woods

Seattle just landed another fast-casual, healthy eating option. 

Fast-growing Los Angeles-based chain Sweetgreen will open its first Seattle-area location in The Village at Totem Lake in Kirkland. Another location on South Lake Union may open as soon as this spring, followed by a third on Capitol Hill.

The mission-driven, fast-casual restaurant serves chef-crafted healthy meals, including salads, warm bowls, and numerous protein-packed meals. The 2,315-square-foot Totem Lake space can accommodate up to 20 diners inside, and an additional 16 on the patio.

Sweetgreen’s Seattle-area suppliers include Macrina Bakery and Vashon Island’s Island Spring Organics, which produces millions of pounds of organic tofu annually. Sweetgreen has also established a partnership with Northwest Harvest, a nonprofit that supports food banks throughout Washington state. 

Sweetgreen was founded in Washington, D.C., in 2006 by three recent graduates of Georgetown University. It now operates more than 220 stores across the United States.

Fast Company named Sweetgreen one of its most innovative companies in 2019 and 2020. The company recently launched a new branding campaign, “New Year, Full You,” to emphasize its healthy offerings.

Follow Us

Tapped Out

Tapped Out

Washington lawmakers propose doubling beer and wine taxes

You might be paying significantly more for your pint next year.  House Bill 2079, introduced by Representative Lauren Davis (D–District 32), would raise the tax on beer from $4.78 to $9.56 per barrel for most breweries. The bill also proposes doubling taxes on wine from 1 cent to 2 cents per liter and increasing taxes…

Older Workers Thrive in Washington

Older Workers Thrive in Washington

State ranks No. 1 for older workers

A former colleague retired last year at age 64. He was, he says, “burned out” on everything from office politics to his difficulty understanding younger teammates. He had worked hard, saved money, and figured now was the time to begin to enjoy it. His father had died literally the day after cashing his first retirement…

Downtown Seattle Again Draws More Workers, Visitors

Downtown Seattle Again Draws More Workers, Visitors

The number of visitors approaches pre-pandemic levels

Downtown foot traffic hit yet another milestone last month. The Downtown Seattle Association says March averaged 101,000 daily workers, the highest average since March 2020. The figure is still only 60% of foot traffic in March 2019 as employees continue working remotely, but is a 12% increase from a year ago. More than 2.5 million…

Curvy Cactus, Chub Rub Launch Seattle’s First Fat Mall

Curvy Cactus, Chub Rub Launch Seattle’s First Fat Mall

The new pop-up marketplace highlights local makers and body-affirming fashion

Seattle Fat Mall — the city’s first-ever  — will turn the Curvy Cactus storefront on Fourth Avenue into a monthlong pop-up marketplace for plus-size fashion, art, and gifts from local makers. “We envision Seattle Fat Mall as more than just a retail space. It’s a celebration of our community,” say Amber and Alyss Seelig, sisters…