Sweetgreen Names Ryan Slemons Chief Development Officer

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sweetgreen, Inc. (NYSE: SG), the mission-driven, next-generation restaurant and lifestyle brand that serves healthy food at scale, today announced the appointment of Ryan Slemons as Chief Development Officer, effective May 4, 2026. Slemons will report directly to Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.

Slemons will lead all aspects of real estate, design, construction, facilities and portfolio management. He brings nearly two decades of experience in real estate, franchising and store development across various industries. Most recently, Slemons served as Chief Development Officer of Unleashed Brands, a portfolio of profitable franchise brands to help kids – including Urban Air Adventure Park, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning Centers and more.

“Ryan brings a rare ability to design spaces that are deeply customer-focused, operationally thoughtful, and elevate the in-restaurant experience,” said Jonathan Neman, Co-Founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We’re thrilled to have him join us at such an important time for the Company. He will play a critical role as we continue our physical expansion, evolve our formats and design, and continue bringing real food to more communities across the country.”

Previously, Slemons was Vice President of Global Real Estate and Development at GameStop supporting up to 4,415 retail stores, as well as distribution centers and corporate offices. He also spent nearly eight years at Amazon leading retail execution for the first “Amazon Go” stores across the U.S. and supporting Amazon’s brick and mortar brands. Slemons also held roles at Starbucks where he managed a portfolio of 1,100 stores across the Pacific Northwest.

“I couldn’t be more proud to support Sweetgreen’s mission to connect people to real food in communities nationwide,” said Ryan Slemons. “There’s a unique opportunity to thoughtfully evolve how our spaces look, feel, and operate, creating environments that not only support our teams, but elevate the experience for every guest.”

About Sweetgreen:

Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Sweetgreen sources the best quality ingredients from farmers and suppliers they trust to cook food from scratch that is both delicious and nourishing. They plant roots in each community by building a transparent supply chain, investing in local farmers and growers, and enhancing the total experience with innovative technology. Since opening its first 560-square-foot location in 2007, Sweetgreen has scaled to over 285 locations across the United States, and their vision is to lead the next generation of restaurants and lifestyle brands built on quality, community and innovation.

To learn more about Sweetgreen, its menu, and its loyalty program, visit www.Sweetgreen.com. Follow @Sweetgreen on Instagram, Facebook and X.