Sweetgreen Gets $18.5 Million From Danny Meyer, Daniel Boulud

Sweetgreen is the up-and-coming kitchen and lifestyle brand that's looking to shake up the way you look at lunch (or frankly, any other meal of the day). Sure, there are dozens of soup and salad chains like Pret a Manger, Panera, and Guy & Gallard, but the difference is that Sweetgreen purports to sell only locally sourced, organic, sustainable food. Think seasonal vegetables, quinoa, and kale as major ingredients. And now they have the added sweet deal of a major $18.5 million grant from major food industry names led by investment team Revolution Growth: Stonyfield's founder Gary Hirshberg, Behance's CEO Scott Belsky, and New York restaurateurs Danny Meyer (Shake Shack) and Daniel Boulud (Daniel).

"Sweetgreen is quickly emerging as the place of choice for people looking for fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced food — and in the process is building a lifestyle brand with meaning and purpose," said Revolution Growth partner Steve Case. "We look forward to continuing this journey as Sweetgreen continues to expand."

Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen can be found in several Washington, D.C. locations, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. But with the added grant, there will soon be a West Coast expansion in early 2015, and the Sweetgreen in the Schools program that helps fuel healthy kids will be expanded. 

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Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi