Sweetgreen Co-CEO Says Secret to Success Is Simplicity

Sweetgreen was founded to solve the founders' personal need for healthy, affordable, and convenient food. They started with a small restaurant in DC, funded by $300,000 from 40 contributors. Despite initial challenges, they expanded locally before scaling nationwide. They avoided institutional funding, instead receiving significant investment from Steve Case, which allowed them to innovate technologically. Sweetgreen now operates in eight cities and aims to enhance customer interaction through technology, focusing on meeting customers' needs and promoting healthy eating.

What kind of funding did Sweetgreen avoid taking on during its growth?

In how many cities is Sweetgreen open across the country as mentioned in the text?