J.P. Morgan analyst John Ivankoe hosted Bloomin' Brands, CAVA Group and others at the Las Vegas forum. A major takeaway: focus on "doing fewer things better" with continued investments in customer and employee experiences. The analyst recommends adding fresh investments in BROS, SBUX, and CAVA, while maintaining cautious optimism on CMG and EAT.
Today, Sweetgreen, the mission-driven restaurant brand connecting more people to real food, announced the opening of its first Richmond location in Carytown. The 2,162-square-foot location marks an exciting milestone as Sweetgreen’s 250th restaurant, furthering the brand’s expansion across the country.
As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the modern fast food industry, including Noodles (NASDAQ:NDLS) and its peers.
Sweetgreen has gotten torched over the last six months - since September 2024, its stock price has dropped 29.9% to $23.64 per share. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.
Shares of casual salad chain Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG)
fell 6.4% in the afternoon session after markets remained anxious about the negative impact of tariffs, with concerns intensifying following new updates from the Trump administration. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted on CNBC, "We're focused on the real economy.... I'm not concerned about a little bit of volatility over three weeks."
Adding to the concerns, President Trump announced on Truth Social that his administration was considering imposing a 200% tariff on all alcoholic beverages imported from European Union countries. This move was in response to the EU's 50% tariff on whisky. Trump added, "This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S."
Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Potbelly (NASDAQ:PBPB) and the best and worst performers in the modern fast food industry.
Technology advances and fast food have always gone hand in hand. But, today, a shocking technology shift is happening in this sector. AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making are quickly transforming the fast food industry.
CAVA Group posted amazing 21% YoY same restaurant sales in Q4, crushing Chipotle's 5.4% and Sweetgreen's 4% comps growth, yet shares fell 10% in reaction.
Today, Sweetgreen announced the launch of Ripple Fries, a fresh take on a fast food staple made with just five simple ingredients, including avocado oil. As the first national brand to offer fries that are air-fried and prepared without seed oils, Sweetgreen is proving that even the most iconic comfort foods can be made with cleaner ingredients and healthier cooking methods. Without ever sacrificing flavor, this launch is another step in Sweetgreen’s mission to redefine fast food. Guests can now enjoy Ripple Fries at Sweetgreen locations nationwide, available for order in-store, on the Sweetgreen app, or via the website.
Casual salad chain Sweetgreen (NYSE:SG) met Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2024, with sales up 5.1% year on year to $160.9 million. On the other hand, next quarter’s revenue guidance of $164.5 million was less impressive, coming in 7.7% below analysts’ estimates. Its GAAP loss of $0.25 per share was 16.4% below analysts’ consensus estimates.
Let's have a look at what is happening on the US markets after the closing bell on Wednesday. Below you can find the top gainers and losers in today's after hours session.
2025 Outlook, second section, third bullet of release should read: Same-Store Sales Change of approximately (5)-(3)% (instead of Same-Store Sales Change of approximately 5-3%).
According to Citi, risks to Sweetgreen's Q4 and Q1-to-date same-store-sales come from "discrete events" such as holiday shifts, winter storms, and the wildfires.
Restaurants increase convenience and give many people a place to unwind. It also feels like demand is strong as consumers always seem to be chasing the next hot place or viral fast food creation on social media.
No surprise the industry has returned 25.6% over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 10.1 percentage points.
