Sweetgreen, the national chain that sells customized and specialized salads, bowls and plates, can build-out at St. Johns Town Center now that the city issued a permit May 4.
Tri-North Builders Inc. of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is the contractor for the $700,000 project at 4624 Town Crossing Drive N., Unit 113, replacing fast-casual chain Noodles & Co., which closed in early 2026 after operating there for a decade.
The permit application for Sweetgreen shows a build-out of 3,056 square feet. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation says the restaurant will seat 56.
Los Angeles-based Sweetgreen Inc. said in November that it expects to open 15-20 restaurants in fiscal 2026.
Its website shows 302 locations in 26 states and Washington, D.C.
Its 13 locations in Florida include Jacksonville as “coming soon.” Most are in South Florida and Tampa.
Sweetgreen says it opened its first 560-square-foot location in 2007. BusinessofBusiness.com reported that former Georgetown students Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru launched Sweetgreen as they sought to create a salad chain “that would taste good and not serve up boring food, all while using ingredients from local farmers.”
They started by opening one location in Georgetown three months after graduation.
The headquarters moved from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles in 2016.
Sweetgreen went public with its initial public offering in November 2021.
CNBC.com reported Nov. 12, 2025, that Sweetgreen was struggling as its traffic and sales continued to fall and it reported millions in losses each quarter.
AOL.com reported May 3 that Sweetgreen will report first-quarter earnings May 7, and investors are expecting revenue to decline 1.6% to $163.6 million, and for its loss per share to expand from $0.13 to $0.18.
Sweetgreen says in its annual SEC report that it opened 25 net new restaurants in 2025 after 25 in 2024.
It expects to open fewer restaurants in 2026 than it did last year.
It says it uses “a rigorous, data-drive real estate selection process to identify new restaurant sites with both high anticipated foot traffic and proximity to workplaces and residences that support our multi-channel approach.”
Sweetgreen says it continues to test new restaurant design concepts to bring the company into more trade areas and markets.
The menu says the restaurant offers “fresh, plant-forward, earth friendly food.”
Examples include a chicken sesame crunch bowl of “antibiotic-free roasted chicken, napa cabbage slaw, sesame crunch, crispy noodles, shredded cabbage, raw carrots, organic shredded kale, chopped romaine, citrus sesame vinaigrette.”
A miso glazed salmon protein plate comprises “antibiotic-free miso glazed salmon, avocado, cucumbers, pickled onions, crispy onions, white rice, nori sesame seasoning and spicy cashew.”
A Shroomami bowl includes roasted tofu, a warm portobello mix, cucumbers, basil, shredded cabbage, roasted almonds, wild rice, organic shredded kale and miso sesame ginger.
