Two popular salad chains advised to ‘sell smaller’ as customers swap for fast food

High-earners might be trading their Sweetgreen and Just Salad for less healthy lunch options as diners increasingly put price above all else, according to a report.

According to Richard Shank, vice president for innovation at market research firm Technomic, price has overtaken traditional factors such as quality, service and portion size for the first time this year to become the primary driver of perceived value in restaurants, Bloomberg reports.

This marks a significant change from previous years, when price ranked fourth on the priority list, Shank said. It also means that once health-conscious consumers may be opting for the McDonald’s newly renovated value menu instead of Sweetgreen, which once sold salads for $17, according to the outlet.

The fast-food industry has long relied on discounts to attract budget-conscious customers. McDonald’s has seen success with offers like the $5 Sausage McMuffin with Egg Meal and $8 Big Mac Meal, while Burger King’s $5 and $7 meal deals are also resonating strongly with price-focused diners, according to executives from both chains, Bloomberg reports.

Some consumers who previously purchased fast-casual salad bowls are now “trading down” to fast-food options, seeking value without sacrificing convenience, the outlet reports.

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Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum! Brands, has noted this shift, and McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski highlighted that the chain is increasingly attracting higher-income customers who still want affordable meals.

Data from market research firm Circana supports this trend. David Portalatin, a food service adviser, said that the proportion of lunches purchased from restaurants, cafeterias, and other food-service outlets remained steady at 23 percent for the three months ending in September.

This indicates that customers leaving fast-casual chains like Sweetgreen may not be abandoning dining out altogether, but they could be switching to more affordable fast-food alternatives.

Chains such as Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell are well-positioned to capture these customers, offering comparable options like crispy chicken salads or Chipotle-style bowls. In Manhattan, these meals typically cost around $11, making them competitive choices for price-conscious diners seeking both convenience and quality.

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Another approach to balancing value and profitability is to adjust portion sizes. Earlier this month, Just Salad found success in Manhattan by lowering the price of one of its market plates from $14.99 to $9.99, resulting in more than double the usual customer purchases.

Similarly, Sweetgreen is exploring ways to attract more diners by reassessing its pricing strategies. The chain has introduced a loyalty program offering occasional discounts, added some lower-priced seasonal menu items and in December launched a $10 bowl.

To attract repeat customers, Sweetgreen may need to offer lower-priced options consistently, which could further strain the already thin profit margins typical of the fast-casual industry, Bloomberg suggests.

Adjusting portion sizes might just work well with the rising number of people on GLP-1 weight loss medications.

Many “healthy” lunch bowls at fast-casual restaurants can exceed 1,000 calories, Bloomberg reports, which may be more than what some diners want, especially those on medication. These smaller portions at a reduced price could appeal to these customers, providing better alignment between cost, calorie content and perceived value.