Houston-based Brighter Bites continues to expand its partnership with the restaurant brand Sweetgreen.
Brighter Bites began its partnership with Sweetgreen during the opening of the company’s Main Street restaurant in downtown Houston in 2020, according to a news release. For every meal sold during their grand openings, Sweetgreen donates a freshly prepared meal to Brighter Bites for students and families at underserved elementary schools in the local community, the release said.
Since the start of their partnership, Brighter Bites has been the impact partner for 10 of Sweetgreen’s restaurant openings across Texas in Houston, Austin and Dallas, according to the release.
Brighter Bites has received over 3,500 meals, equating to around $45,000 worth of food donations. In 2023, Brighter Bites and Sweetgreen partnered for new restaurant openings in the Mueller neighborhood in Austin and recently in uptown Houston, the release said.
“When Sweetgreen meals are available at distribution locations, it’s always a crowd-pleaser and welcomed by our schools and families,” Katie Degen, senior program manager of Brighter Bites Houston, said in the release. “The meals enhance the program’s overall experience by exposing families to different fruits and vegetables. This inspires families to recreate the meals at home with the produce provided in the weekly boxes!”
Through this collaboration, Brighter Bites can provide their families with craveable, nutritious meals made from scratch in Sweetgreen’s local kitchens in addition to the regular produce distribution, the release said. By working with Sweetgreen, Brighter Bites hopes to connect and inspire families with new ways to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into healthy and delicious meals.
“Since day one, our mission has focused on expanding access to real food,” said Tony Wu, Sweetgreen’s diversity, equity and inclusion and social impact program manager. “We resonate with Brighter Bites’ holistic approach to providing equitable access to fresh food and robust nutrition education to kids and their parents to reinforce healthy eating habits. We’re proud to support Brighter Bites and build healthier communities together.”
To learn more about Brighter Bites or how to volunteer or partner, visit brighterbites.org, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or YouTube.
