Sweetgreen will tie compensation to sales and tenure for top-performing managers with at least three years at the company who lead its highest-volume restaurants, opening a path to more than $200,000 in total pay.
Sweetgreen calls its restaurant managers Head Coaches. It announced the Head Coach Incentive Plan Oct. 27 and set the launch for the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Managers at higher-volume restaurants move into higher base-pay tiers. A revenue-share bonus is available when sales exceed a location’s target, with the potential rising as tenure grows. Equity eligibility also depends on performance.
The company’s announcement does not say whether the more-than-$200,000 figure is annual or covers another period. It also omits salary bands, the bonus calculation and the value of any equity.
Restaurant Dive reported that Sweetgreen Chief Operating Officer Jason Cochran estimated 10% to 12% of Head Coaches met the criteria. The outlet also reported that managers reaching the highest tier could see compensation rise by as much as 50%.
A separate Head Coach Restaurateur Program is for selected high-performing managers. Sweetgreen said it offers those participants specialized development, year-round mentorship from senior leaders and higher base pay. Participants can receive $10,000 each time a Team Member they develop becomes a Head Coach, with no cap on bonuses. Sweetgreen also described broader workforce measures that include updated training, leadership development, routes into Support Center roles and annual merit increases for eligible Team Members. It said these programs build on a year of investment in restaurant operations and training.
Sweetgreen said it had 289 locations and was nearing 300 when it announced the plan. It expects the broader initiatives to support restaurant teams and customer experience, though it did not quantify their cost or expected financial impact.
The next scheduled update is Thursday, Nov. 5, when Sweetgreen plans to release third-quarter 2026 results after market close. A webcast is set for 4:30 p.m. ET.
