00:00Here's how fries became a symbol of what's gone wrong at Sweetgreen. Ripple fries were supposed
00:03to be a healthier upgrade. Air fried, no additives. Fries you could feel good about. While the company
00:08promoted the side with a splashy mid-year rollout, workers were overwhelmed. Because the fries had to
00:12be constantly baked to stay fresh, the kitchen's bottlenecked. Then, leadership mandated batches
00:17every 30 minutes, which could be monitored by oven trackers. One former manager says staff fired
00:21empty ovens just to hit the metrics, a claim Sweetgreen denies. Five months later, the fries
00:27were unceremoniously cooled to the menus. Sweetgreen built its brand on premium sourcing and big ideas,
00:32promising to revolutionize fast food and change the way people eat in the U.S. But as a public
00:37company, execution matters more than vision. They've paid the price for that reality. Since its 2021 IPO,
00:42Sweetgreen has never turned a profit and has lost nearly 80% of its market value in the past year.
00:47Former employees described supply chain gaps, cost-cutting on ingredients, including substituting
00:52chicken suppliers, and expensive debts like $500,000 salad-making remotes that were later
00:57sold off. Meanwhile, rivals like Kava and Twole have posted stronger growth. Now, with foot traffic
01:02falling and investors losing faith, the question is, can Sweetgreen make its model work?
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