[12] Sweetgreen was founded in 2006[13][14] by Nicolas Jammet, Nathaniel Ru, and Jonathan Neman, all Georgetown University students at the time.

[15] Sweetgreen raised its initial $375,000 of startup funding from investors including the three founders' parents, Joe Bastianich, Seth Goldman, and Washington's Latino Economic Development Center.

[4][16] In 2013, it accepted a $22 million investment from Revolution Growth, a venture capital fund founded by Steve Case.

In 2015, it raised an additional $35 million in investment under the lead of T. Rowe Price with contributions from existing investor Revolution Growth.

In August 2021, Sweetgreen announced its plans to acquire Massachusetts Institute of Technology startup, Spyce, a Boston-based restaurant that uses service robots to prepare meals.

These locations reported a significantly higher profit margin of 28%, showcasing the potential impact of automation on the chain's operational efficiency.

These collaborations have included chef duo Jon and Vinny in Los Angeles,[32] Nancy Silverton,[33] Michael Solomonov in Philadelphia area,[34] Danny Bowein in New York,[35] Ken Oringer in Boston,[36] and Chris Shepherd in Houston.

[37] Sweetgreen has collaborated multiple times with David Chang of Momofuku, including a new salad dressing featured in the New York locations during the summer of 2014.

[38] In February 2020, Sweetgreen again partnered with David Chang to launch the Tingly Sweet Potato and Kelp Bowl.

"[52] Sweetgreen was named one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2019[53] and 2020,[54] and it won the 2020 Webby Award for Food & Drink in the Apps, Mobile & Voice category.