sweetgreen, the mission-driven restaurant brand serving healthy food at scale, announces their first ever national athlete ambassador and their youngest investor to date, Naomi Osaka. The partnership also marks the first food collaboration for Osaka, a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, philanthropist, and advocate.
With 52% of Americans consciously seeking out healthier food options, the future of on-the-go dining is changing. Players like sweetgreen – with the help of like-minded supporters like Osaka – are redefining what that industry will look like in the years to come.
“Our goal is a big one: to change the way brands and athletes speak to future generations about the importance of what they eat,” said Nathaniel Ru, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer. “sweetgreen is honored to partner with Naomi because she stands for what she believes in and uses her platform to educate and inspire the next generation.”
Osaka is a longtime sweetgreen customer and is a firm believer that the food she eats fuels her on and off the court. For the tennis star, that means eating food that treats you right physically and mentally, a message that she hopes to spread to her young followers through this partnership.
“I’m proud to join forces with sweetgreen to change the way the world thinks of traditional fast-food sponsorships. As an athlete, what I put into my body directly correlates to how I perform and eating delicious, healthy foods fuels my daily routine,” said Osaka. “I’m excited about the work we’re doing together to create a positive impact.”
Osaka worked with sweetgreen’s culinary team to design a custom bowl that will debut nationwide on Thursday, May 20th and will only be available via the sweetgreen app for pickup or delivery. The Naomi Osaka Bowl, her typical go-to order, features warm quinoa, baby spinach, cilantro, tomato, tortilla chips, raw carrots, goat cheese, blackened chicken, lime-cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette, avocado, and sweetgreen hot sauce.
In celebration of their partnership, sweetgreen and Naomi are jointly supporting The Asian American Foundation in their effort to advance equity in the AAPI community. On Wednesday, May 26th, 100% of sales from every Naomi Osaka Bowl will support AAPI-led organizations increasing food access in AAPI communities.*
