Jonathan Neman - Building the Modern Restaurant - [Founder’s Field Guide, EP. 24]

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My guest this week is Jonathan Neman, the co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. Sweetgreen is a fast-casual restaurant chain that Jonathan co-founded in 2007 during their senior year at Georgetown when he realized they couldn't find a healthy, affordable, and convenient place to eat. Today, Sweetgreen operates in 11 markets and will have about 160 restaurants across the US by the end of 2021. In our conversation, we cover the origins of Sweetgreen and how it builds a direct relationship with its customers, how Jonathan thinks restaurants should work with marketplaces like DoorDash, and the economics of operating restaurants. While Sweetgreen is primarily a restaurant concept, Jonathan brings a tech-first mindset to the food industry, focusing less on single-store economics and more about customer lifetime value and the importance of owning the relationship with the customer. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jonathan Neman.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page</span> <a href= "https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/94245865/neman-building-the-modern-restaurant"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><strong>-----</strong></p> <p><strong>This episode is brought to you by</strong> <a href= "https://www.klaviyo.com/founders"><strong>Klaviyo</strong></a><strong>. Klaviyo is the ultimate marketing platform for e-commerce. With targeted segmentation, email automation, SMS marketing, and more, Klaviyo helps you create your ideal customer experience. </strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>See why Klaviyo is trusted by more than 50,000 brands, like Living Proof, Solo Stove, and Nomad to help them grow their business. For a free trial, check out</strong> <a href= "https://www.klaviyo.com/founders"><strong>klaviyo.com/founders</strong></a><strong>. </strong></p> <p><strong>-----</strong></p> <p><strong>This episode is brought