Sweetgreen manager pay plan could top $200,000 for qualifying head coaches
Sweetgreen’s 2027 plan ties higher manager pay to store volume, sales performance, tenure and equity, with only a limited group expected to qualify.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Sweetgreen’s manager pay plan could give qualifying restaurant leaders total annual compensation of more than $200,000 beginning in 2027. The company is tying the potential payout to the performance of high-volume stores, betting that stronger incentives will help it recruit and keep managers and improve restaurant results.
The $200,000 figure is not a standard salary for all Sweetgreen managers, who are called Head Coaches. It is a potential total-compensation level for top-performing Head Coaches with at least three years at the company who run its highest-volume restaurants, Sweetgreen said in its announcement.
Which Sweetgreen managers can earn more than $200,000?
Sweetgreen Chief Operating Officer Jason Cochran told Restaurant Dive that about 10% to 12% of Head Coaches currently meet the reported combination of tenure, individual performance and store-performance criteria. Head Coach is Sweetgreen’s term for a restaurant general manager, Restaurant Dive reported.
The package combines base salary, bonuses tied to meeting or beating sales targets, and equity compensation. Base pay may rise by as much as 45% for managers at higher-volume locations, according to Fortune. Sweetgreen has not disclosed the sales level required for that maximum increase.
Managers whose restaurants surpass sales goals will be eligible for a revenue-share bonus, Fortune reported. The share percentage rises with tenure, and managers may continue to receive equity based on their performance. Sweetgreen said Head Coaches who reach the plan maximum could see total compensation increase by up to 50%, according to Restaurant Dive.
When does Sweetgreen’s manager pay plan start?
Base-salary changes are due to begin in the first quarter of 2027. Store-performance bonuses will be paid quarterly starting Jan. 1, 2027, according to Fortune.
Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman described the additional manager compensation as a bet. He said the company believes better recruitment, retention and incentives for Head Coaches can produce higher sales and margins; those outcomes remain the company’s expectation rather than established results.
The move follows a weaker quarter for the chain. Labor and related expenses accounted for 29% of revenue in the quarter ending in June, up from 28% a year earlier, while same-store sales and restaurant profits declined from 2025 levels, Fortune reported.
How will Sweetgreen measure whether the plan works?
Neman said Sweetgreen will assess the program through sales and other business performance, team-member turnover, Head Coach stability, quality and experience scores, and internal mobility. The company has not released enough information about the sales thresholds to calculate how many managers will ultimately reach the top pay level or what the plan will cost.
Sweetgreen is also adding a Restaurateur Program for selected Head Coaches, Restaurant Dive reported. Managers nominated by regional general managers can receive training and mentorship, higher base pay, and a $10,000 bonus for each employee they develop into a Head Coach. The chain is also creating regional training-manager positions.
The company’s approach reflects a familiar labor-market premise: employers can use higher pay to compete for workers and encourage retention. Labor supply and wages do not by themselves determine restaurant sales, however, and Sweetgreen’s plan will be judged against its stated operating measures.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.