Sweetgreen goes for magic $10 price point with new Blackened Chicken Harvest Bowl

Sweetgreen’s new $10 Blackened Chicken Harvest Bowl will be available systemwide on Dec. 8. | Photo by Lisa Jennings

Sweetgreen on Monday made what could be its strongest value play yet.

The Los Angeles-based chain launched the ‘Tis the Seasoned Harvest Bowl with Blackened Chicken, which will be available for a limited-time nationwide.

And it’s only $10 for loyalty members.

That’s several dollars below the more typical price range for bowls, which are mostly in the $13 to $17 range at Sweetgreen. In Los Angeles, for example, the regular Harvest Bowl (with roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, almonds, wild rice and kale with a vinaigrette) is $14.65.

Sweetgreen said the national average for bowls across the category are about $12 to $14. 

And $10 this year has become a psychological sweet spot, with both casual-dining and QSR chains competing for diners at that price point. Sweetgreen is stepping in to stake a claim for some of that market share.

The new ‘Tis the Seasoned version is a twist on Sweetgreen’s original Harvest Bowl, which is a fan favorite. Sweetgreen has sold more than 36 million Harvest Bowls to date, the company said.

The $10 version uses a new smoky blackened chicken (of course, chicken raised without antibiotics) and Sweetgreen said the bowl has 37 grams of protein, which has been a focus of late for the brand.  

Convinced that consumers are motivated by protein, Sweetgreen has upped the amount of chicken and tofu in bowls by 25%. The chain last month rolled out a macronutrient tracking tool, that allows guests to maximize their protein. And Sweetgreen debuted a mega-protein Power Max Protein Bowl LTO with a whopping 106 grams of protein. 

The latter dish has essentially four servings of chicken and is priced at $22.45.

Sweetgreen, however, has been struggling with value perception.

After seeing traffic plunge nearly 12% in the third quarter, CEO Jonathan Neman pledged to rethink the chain’s pricing strategy, saying the brand would be looking for more price entry points on the menu.

Earlier this year, Sweetgreen saw some traction with weekly drops of bowls promoted at a $13 price, which Neman said helped the chain understand more about price elasticity. But he said the $13 bowls were mostly marketed to existing customers and had a high degree of cannibalization.

In press materials, Sweetgreen said the $10 bowl comes at a time when guests are gravitating toward meals that are affordable, comforting and convenient.

This isn’t the first time Sweetgreen is discounting a version of the Harvest Bowl. The chain also offered one for $10 in 2022 as an LTO.

Traditionally, fast-casual concepts have been able to avoid the discount wars seen in the quick-service and casual-dining segments. But this year several of Sweetgreen’s peers are promoting more value offers through their respective loyalty programs to drive in traffic.

“The ‘Tis the Seasoned $10 Harvest Bowl with Blackened Chicken brings together the thoughtful preparation, ingredient integrity and real nourishment guests associate with Sweetgreen,” said Zipporah Allen, the chain’s chief commercial officer. “The Harvest Bowl is our most iconic and craveable bowl. We are thrilled to bring this special edition at a great value to our customers during this festive season.”

 

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Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts.

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