STANDOUT STORES
Sweetgreen Naperville , IL
F ast casual salad chain Sweetgreen opened its first restaurant powered by automation in May . The store , located in the Chicago suburb of Naperville , Illinois , features the retailer ' s Infinite Kitchen technology , which is capable of making customised bowls of salad to order with a bare minimum of human intervention .
After the customer places their order – either through the Sweetgreen app , a self-service kiosk , or the restaurant ’ s host – their bowl moves along a conveyor belt , stopping at various dispensers filled with dressings , grains , arugula , cherry tomatoes , goat cheese and other ingredients .
At each station , their bowl is rotated slightly to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed , and at the end of the conveyor belt , it is handmixed by a team member . More delicate ingredients , such as herbs , avocado , and fish are added by hand at the end .
In addition to the Infinite Kitchen technology , the store also features a new tasting counter , brandstorytelling digital screens and a display area where customers can shop exclusive merchandise .
Sweetgreen has stated that it plans to open a second automated restaurant this year , and expects all of its restaurants to be automated eventually .
Cult Gaia New York City , NY
L
A-based fashion and accessories brand Cult Gaia opened its first stand-alone location in New York at 60 Wooster Street in the heart of SoHo , one of the city ’ s most fashionable neighborhoods .
Created by design and architecture firm Sugarhouse , the store encompasses three rooms across 1,900sqft , which display the brand ’ s colorful and feminine accessories and clothing pieces . The rooms are separated by long colonnades , giving customers the sensation of walking into a well-worn cave or dimly lit Romanesque temple .
The brand ’ s brightly colored products pop out against the earthy limestone and beige plaster surfaces that make up the store ’ s neutral color palette . In addition to soft overhead lighting , there is plenty of natural light coming in through the windows , which provide a view of Wooster Street ’ s fashionable visitors .
September 2023 www . insideretail . us 53