Sweetgreen Names John Karangis Executive Chef and SVP, Culinary

Former Shake Shack culinary leader brings fine-dining expertise and experience developing innovative menus at scale

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sweetgreen today announced the appointment of John Karangis as Executive Chef and Senior Vice President, Culinary. In his new role, Karangis will lead sweetgreen's culinary strategy, overseeing menu innovation, strengthening the core menu and bringing new chef-crafted offerings from the test kitchen to restaurants nationwide.

Karangis brings extensive culinary experience spanning fine dining, hospitality and global restaurant brands. Most recently, he served as Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation at Shake Shack, where he led research and development, menu innovation and chef collaborations. Based in the company's Innovation Kitchen in Manhattan, he oversaw the development of new menu offerings while continuing to evolve the brand's signature menu.

Prior to Shake Shack, Karangis spent seven years as Executive Chef of Union Square Events, the catering and events arm of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. During his tenure, he led culinary programming across a diverse portfolio of experiences, from intimate private dining to large-scale events, and helped develop new dining concepts for sports and cultural venues. Karangis began his culinary career in the acclaimed kitchens of Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern, with additional experience working in restaurants in Paris and San Francisco.

“Sweetgreen has built an exceptional brand around fresh, high-quality food,” said John Karangis, Executive Chef and SVP, Culinary at sweetgreen. “I’ve spent my career focused on developing dishes that celebrate exceptional ingredients by treating them with care and precision. I’m thrilled to join the sweetgreen team and to work alongside our culinary team to elevate our core menu and bring fresh new ideas to life.”

"John brings a unique combination of culinary creativity, fine-dining expertise and experience bringing new ideas to life across restaurants nationwide," said Jonathan Neman, Co-Founder and CEO at sweetgreen. “He understands how to take a great idea from the kitchen and make it something customers can enjoy every day, without compromising on quality or flavor. We're excited for the perspective John will bring as we continue to evolve our menu and give customers even more reasons to come back."

Beyond developing new recipes and menu platforms, Karangis will work closely with sweetgreen's growers and suppliers to explore distinctive ingredients and bring new culinary ideas into broader production. In partnership with Marketing, Operations and Supply Chain, he'll help translate those ideas into dishes that can be prepared consistently across sweetgreen restaurants, while maintaining the quality and flavor at the heart of the brand.

About sweetgreen: Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG) is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. Since 2007, the brand has reimagined what quick, accessible food can be: fresh, flavorful and built on real relationships with growers. From regional farms to kitchens across the country, sweetgreen serves seasonal, chef-crafted menus across more than 285 locations nationwide, creating spaces where food, people, and purpose come together.