Sweetgreen Reverses No-Cash Policy

After two years of refusal, popular quick-service salad chain Sweetgreen will begin accepting cash again. The brand that pioneered the cashless movement among restaurant operators and other businesses announced in a blog post on Thursday that it would be dropping its no-cash payments policy at all 94 of its locations before year’s end.

In response to the growing number of franchisors and other restaurant operators going cashless, states and cities are starting to implement legislation prohibiting businesses from refusing to accept cash as payment, including New Jersey, Philadelphia and more.

Restaurant Business noted that Sweetgreen made the change amid growing criticism of the cashless movement. According to the article, the brand noted that the operational benefits of going cashless are outweighed by the “unintended consequence” of excluding some customers.

Sweetgreen’s reversal of policy reveals that despite the operational efficiency no-cash policies bring about, it may ultimately be of greater benefit for franchisors and other businesses to accept multiple forms of payment in order to make themselves accessible to any and all consumers.