Story by Lisa Wang

If you are short of time, a fitness maniac, or, say, you are just still feeling stuffed from your last meal and want something lighter to eat, Sweetgreen is the place for you.

Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen is the destination for simple, seasonal, and healthy food. Aiming to inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food, Sweetgreen gets fresh whole vegetables, fruits, and grains from local farms delivered to its stores every morning. A reflection of the brand’s commitment to transparency, all the stores feature chalkboard source lists and open kitchen to keep the customers aware of where their food came from and how they are cooked. 

Every month or two Sweetgreen updates its seasonal menu, attracting loyal fans to try the salads out. Of course, considering that the customers might be allergic to certain ingredients (or they might just be picky-eaters), Sweetgreen always give them the option of creating their own bowls, selecting from seven gluten-free bases, eighteen basic veggies, seventeen premium add-ons that range from local cheeses to vegan-friendly proteins, and fifteen delicious gluten-free and made-in-house kinds of dressings. You could literally live on different salads the entire week without repeating. 

Located just across the street from the Columbia gate on the Broadway side, Sweetgreen’s proximity indeed makes it one of the most popular choices for the Columbia students, faculties, and the workers nearby. But no worries about the long queue! You could simply order what you want to eat on the free Sweetgreen app as you would in store, set a pickup time, and your salad bowl will be waiting for you on the pickup shelf by the door. All you need to do is just grab-and-go! Plus, don’t you worry about the freshness of your salad, because Sweetgreen workers only make it three minutes in advance, if not less. The line you see that extend out of the entrance every day at noon are not people trying to get food, but to pick them up, because they come too early!