In 2007, Georgetown University students had two choices of food: fresh, slow, and expensive, or unhealthy, fast, and cheap. Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet, and Nathaniel Ru decided they could do better, not only for themselves but for others. After putting together a business plan, they found a former burger stand and began building their vision of being a positive force in the food business. Today, there are dozens of Sweetgreens in 20 states and D.C., and the company is listed on the NASDAQ with a valuation of $1.2 billion. In the audio clip below, Jammet tells WGN’s Steve Alexander about the newest piece of their vision: Ultimate Kitchen, which is a refrigerator-like robot that fills salad bowls to order on a conveyor belt, and does so faster and more accurately than humans can do it. The first Ultimate Kitchen opened recently in Naperville, Illinois, and more than 200 people waited in line on grand opening day.
Three college kids wanted healthier fast food, so they drew up a business plan. Sixteen years later, Sweetgreen is a $1.2 billion salad chain and it's turning over new leaves in Naperville with a robotic salad machine.
