Sweetgreen Inc. (NYSE: SG) announced the appointment of Ryan Slemons as Chief Development Officer, effective May 4, 2026. Slemons will report directly to Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.

In his new role, Slemons will oversee real estate, design, construction, facilities and portfolio management for the restaurant chain. He brings nearly two decades of experience in real estate, franchising and store development across multiple industries.

Slemons most recently served as Chief Development Officer of Unleashed Brands, a portfolio of franchise brands including Urban Air Adventure Park, The Little Gym and Sylvan Learning Centers. Previously, he held the position of Vice President of Global Real Estate and Development at GameStop, supporting up to 4,415 retail stores, distribution centers and corporate offices.

He also spent nearly eight years at Amazon, leading retail execution for the first Amazon Go stores across the United States and supporting Amazon's brick-and-mortar brands. Earlier in his career, Slemons worked at Starbucks, managing a portfolio of 1,100 stores across the Pacific Northwest.

"Ryan brings a rare ability to design spaces that are deeply customer-focused, operationally thoughtful, and elevate the in-restaurant experience," said Jonathan Neman. "He will play a critical role as we continue our physical expansion, evolve our formats and design, and continue bringing real food to more communities across the country."

Sweetgreen operates more than 285 locations across the United States. The company sources ingredients from farmers and suppliers to prepare food from scratch.

The information is based on a company press release.