Fast Casual Top 100

Sweetgreen named FastCasual's top brand of 2020

Sweetgreen, a 104-unit salad chain, topped the 2020 list of Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers, and Fazoli's took home the Excellence in Food Safety Award.

May 18, 2020

Sweetgreen, a 104-unit salad chain, topped the 2020 list of Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers.

The list recognizes the industry's 75 most innovative brands along with 25 individual brand leaders, who have not only propelled their own brands but the industry as a whole, said Cherryh Cansler, editor of FastCasual.

Jim McPhail, chief development officer of Sweetgreen, accepted the award Friday afternoon during the virtual Top 100 gala hosted by Cansler and Doug Sutton, president of Steritech.

"Although we were disappointed to have to cancel our in-person gala in Chicago, we are so excited to have you all join us for our first-ever virtual celebration," Cansler said during the event.

Before helping Cansler count down the winning brands from 75 to No. 1, Sutton revealed the winner of this year's Excellence in Food Safety Award, Fazoli's. CEO Carl Howard accepted the award on behalf of the Kentucky-based brand. Five Guys and Chipotle earned honorable mention.

Steritech and FastCasual also worked together to create the "2020 Excellence in Food Safety" report, which recognized restaurants that are providing outstanding food safety. The report also includes information to help brands nail food-safety protocols. Download it for free here.

To see which brands made this year's list, download the free Top 100 report, sponsored by Oracle, here.

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