# Sweetgreen CEO hates kale but uses de-stemmed version to speed up menu

> Sweetgreen's CEO admits hating kale but uses de-stemmed version to cut salad wait times.
- Title: Sweetgreen CEO hates kale but uses de-stemmed version to…
- Summary: Sweetgreen's CEO admits hating kale but uses de-stemmed version to cut salad wait times. Sweetgreen uses de-stemmed kale to speed up salads despite CEO…
- Keywords: sweetgreen, kale, de-stemmed, salad, ceo, menu, sales, same-store-sales, news, entertainment, hates, uses
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/10/14/business/sweetgreen-tries-to-speed-up-menu-with-de-stemmed-kale-ceo-admits-to-hating-veggie
- Published: 2026-10-14T16:14:59+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: sweetgreen, kale, de-stemmed, salad, ceo, menu, sales, same-store-sales, news, entertainment
## Sweetgreen speeds up menu
Sweetgreen uses de-stemmed kale to shave seconds off salad wait times.
## CEO hates kale
Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman says he personally hates kale, preferring arugula.

> I really don’t like kale. I’m not a huge fan.
## Kale processing takes time
Workers previously had to de-stem kale by hand, spending two to three hours per batch.
## Sales slump drives changes
Sweetgreen faces 7-8% same-store sales decline and adds cheaper wraps to attract customers.
## Key takeaway

Sweetgreen uses de-stemmed kale to speed up salads despite CEO hating the vegetable.