From left: Sweetgreen co-founders Jonathan Neman, Nicolas Jammet and Nathaniel Ru; and a rendering of 3101 Exposition Boulevard
An industrial building in West Adams once used to produce dairy products is going green. Sweetgreen.
The popular salad chain will relocate its headquarters from Culver City to a former dairy plant that the Luzzatto Company is redeveloping, The Real Deal has learned.
With the new lease, Sweetgreen will occupy the entire 50,000-square-foot space at 3101 Exposition Boulevard. The fast casual restaurant chain is now based in Runyon Group’s Platform complex in Culver City since 2016, when it left its Washington, D.C., location.
A representative for Sweetgreen confirmed the lease. Rick Buckley at LA Realty Partners brokered the off-market deal. He declined to comment.
Luzzatto, a Fairfax-based investment and development firm, is transforming the building, once the home of Unified Grocers’ dairy products division. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2020, at which point Sweetgreen will move in.
Luzzatto recently bought the 1.5-acre industrial site from the Olson Company for an undisclosed amount. Olson, a multifamily developer that specializes in affordable housing, had filed plans to build 68 townhouse-style condos at the property in November 2017. It’s unclear why they abandoned those plans.
In its new location, Sweetgreen will work with SEE-LA, a nonprofit operator of farmers’ markets, to bring healthier food options to the region.
Sweetgreen has more than 80 locations across the country. In October, news circulated that the company was close to securing a $200 million investment that would value it above $1 billion.
West Adams, a designated federal Opportunity Zone, is becoming a popular spot for office conversions, thanks in part to Luzzatto’s efforts in the area. The firm is building the “Expo Station” office building at 12414 Exposition Boulevard. The University of Southern California’s cancer research center will occupy the 80,000-square-foot building for a few years before purchasing it. Luzzatto is also working on another conversion project, designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, at 3339 Exposition Place.