Robotic kitchens, restaurant tech, and fast-casual's future with Sweetgreen's Jonathan Neman | E1910
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.2 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2024
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
Wistia. All-in-one video platform for business, with tools that help you create, manage, and measure the impact of your videos. Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups
CLA. Innovation takes balance. CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at http://www.CLAconnect.com/tech
Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist
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Todays show:
Jason is joined by sweetgreens’ Jonathan Neman to discuss: the x-factor that makes a strong manager (7:36). deciding between the franchise model vs owned and operated (16:02), robotics in the restaurant industry (24:23), and more!
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jonathan joins Jason.
(2:30) The scale and innovation of sweetgreen today
(7:36) The x-factor that makes a strong manager
(10:05) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups
(12:31) The “Sweetlife” and the importance of “polishing forks”
(16:02) Navigating the decision between the franchise model vs owned and operated
(18:30) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(24:23) Robotics in the restaurant industry
(29:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(30:33) The details and benefits of the machines Sweetgreen has brought into its restaurants.
(37:15) Restaurant difficulties with inflation, COVID and “sticker shock”
(38:46) Delivery in the business today pre and post-pandemic
(45:10) How Australia fits into the origin of sweetgreen
(48:01) The best way to build a brand
(52:28) The seed oil conversation
(45:53) sweetgreen is positioned towards tailored menus.
(1:01:12) The challenging topic of food options and availability across different socioeconomic groups.
(1:05:58) The definition of healthy food
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LINKS:
Check out sweetgreen: https://www.sweetgreen.com/
Watch The Founder (2-16): https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Michael-Keaton/dp/B01MY7FSMF
Watch our Business Breakdown of the film The Founder: https://youtu.be/kYqzEEFU_nw
Watch The Bear: https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/the-bear/umc.cmc.javg04xbn3eonbgfvnaqmodk
Check out Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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Follow Jonathan:
X: https://twitter.com/JonnyNemo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-neman-9a28aa8/
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Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:05) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups
(18:30) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(29:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
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Follow TWiST:
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Food is a very, very big problem in this country. |
| 0:02.8 | The health outcomes that we have, the way we are treating them, |
| 0:06.4 | it's just, it's just... |
| 0:07.6 | You can't have 60, 70% of the country be obese and then have obesity be linked |
| 0:12.0 | to like the four horsemen of the |
| 0:13.6 | apocalypse whatever they are like diabetes is diabetes |
| 0:16.6 | diabetes they all come back to metabolic dysfunction and I want to be clear this |
| 0:20.5 | isn't people's fault this is not people's fault, this is the system. |
| 0:24.7 | Right now our subsidies, 95% of our subsidies go to corn and soy. |
| 0:29.3 | These are things that are then going, yeah, that are then going into the processed food system. |
| 0:34.0 | This week in startups is brought to you by Wistia. |
| 0:38.0 | Is the all in one video platform for business, |
| 0:42.0 | with tools that help you create, manage, and measure the impact of your videos. |
| 0:47.0 | Try Wistia for free at Wistia.com slash startups. |
| 0:52.0 | CLA. Innovation Takes Balance. |
| 0:55.0 | Our CPA's consultants and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at |
| 1:03.8 | at CLA Connect.com slash tech. |
| 1:07.6 | And Lemon. |
| 1:09.2 | dot I. |
| 1:10.1 | need to speed up your product development |
| 1:12.0 | without draining your budget? |
| 1:13.7 | Hire vetted engineers from Europe at lemon.io. |
... |
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