Sweetgreen names real estate veteran as new development chief
A growing healthy-eating fast-casual restaurant chain has added to its C-suite.
Sweetgreen Inc. has appointed Ryan Slemons as chief development officer, effective May 4. In the role, he will lead all aspects of real estate, design, construction, facilities and portfolio management.
Most recently, Slemons served for the past three years as chief development officer of Unleashed Brands, which owns a portfolio of kid-focused franchise brands including Urban Air Adventure Park, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning Centers and more.
“Ryan brings a rare ability to design spaces that are deeply customer-focused, operationally thoughtful, and elevate the in-restaurant experience,” said Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We’re thrilled to have him join us at such an important time for the company. He will play a critical role as we continue our physical expansion, evolve our formats and design, and continue bringing real food to more communities across the country.”
Prior to joining Urban Air, Slemons served as the VP of global real estate and development at GameStop, overseeing more than 4,400 retail stores. His resume also includes nearly seven years in various roles at Amazon, where he helped lead retail execution for the first “Amazon Go” stores across the U.S. He also spent five years at Starbucks, where he managed a portfolio of 1,100 stores across the Pacific Northwest.
[READ MORE: Sweetgreen to open first drive-thru location featuring its automated kitchen tech]
“I couldn’t be more proud to support Sweetgreen’s mission to connect people to real food in communities nationwide,” said Slemons. “There’s a unique opportunity to thoughtfully evolve how our spaces look, feel, and operate, creating environments that not only support our teams, but elevate the experience for every guest.”
Founded in 2007, Sweetgreen operates over 285 locations across the U.S. The chain is known for its salads and bowls that prioritize organic, regenerative and locally-sourced produce.
