Courtesy of Sweetgreen
The fast-casual salad chain announced the change in a Medium post, which was emailed to customers on Tuesday morning.
Cutting bacon and Sriracha is part of the debut of a new menu that the chain is calling "Healthy 2.0." In addition to cutting the less-than-healthy ingredients, Sweetgreen is making warm portobello and roasted steelhead menu mainstays. The chain is also removing 70% of the sugars in beverages, instead sweetening with minimal honey or agave.
While few would argue that bacon or Sriracha are health foods, it seems unlikely adding either ingredient to a salad packed with nutrients would negate its nutritional value - especially when items like the pesto vinaigrette, with 22 grams of fat and 190 calories, remain on the menu. However, Sweetgreen says that the change was necessary to stay ahead of the competition and craft a truly healthy menu.
Hollis Johnson
Sweetgreen's head chef Michael Stebner explained the change in the Medium post, writing:
We're going to change the way restaurants in this country cook. Because of the access and footprint we have, we're on the biggest soapbox there is. That's why I came to work for Sweetgreen, that's why I'm here. Because I want to stop cooking for myself and start cooking for the world. Because it's time to make America healthy again.
Some customers are less than happy about the change, taking to social media to complain about the loss of bacon and Sriracha.
@sweetgreen no more bacon?! How could you?!!?
What the fresh hell is this! @Sweetgreen Who gets rid of sriracha and bacon?#UnAmerican
- Abigail Hilliard (@AbigailHilliard) May 24, 2016
Sweetgreen is getting rid of bacon and now I understand Trump ????????????????
- fhyrew (@fhyrew) May 17, 2016