Can Wraps Save Sweetgreen's Struggling Stock?

2026-04-21 06:35:00 ET

While it may sound like a silly question, whether wraps can help save Sweetgreen 's (NYSE: SG) struggling stock, the introduction of new items at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants can actually have a huge impact on sales and a stock's price. We don't even have to look too far back to see this type of dynamic in action.

Cava (NYSE: CAVA) is a great recent example of a restaurant operator introducing a new menu item that drove huge sales. When the Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant owner launched its grilled steak option in the second quarter of 2024, it led to a significant increase in sales and traffic for the company over the next year.

That quarter, Cava saw its same-store sales increase from just 2.3% in the fiscal first quarter to 14.4% in fiscal Q2. That was followed by comparable-restaurant sales growth of 18.1%, 21.2%, and 10.8%, respectively, over the next three quarters. Meanwhile, its average unit volume (the average revenue per restaurant) climbed 12% from $2.6 million to $2.9 million in fiscal Q1 of 2025.

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