Salad chain Sweetgreen, founded by three Georgetown students in 2007, is making D.C. hummus company Little Sesame part of its new spring menu, with the Hummus Crunch Salad.
It is part of several new menu items Sweetgreen has introduced. One of them is also the Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl, and that one may keep the company’s legal team busy. Chipotle Mexican Grill filed a trademark infringement suit against Sweetgreen this week over the name. Sweetgreen says it is named for the chipotle powder and roasted chipotle salsa that is used in the dish.
Chipotle’s complaint said the company contacted Sweetgreen about using the name before filing the lawsuit, but received no response.
On Thursday, Sweetgreen announced it had renamed the menu item “Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl” as part of a tentative agreement to resolve the suit.
The Hummus Crunch Salad is a Mediterranean-style salad, and includes briny olives. Sweetgreen customers can also order the Little Sesame hummus as an add-on for custom orders.
While Sweetgreen relocated its corporate headquarters to Los Angeles several years ago, both Sweetgreen and Little Sesame founders were friends early on among food concept startups in D.C.
Sweetgreen has been expanding its menu beyond salads, adding a variety of heartier choices, such as grain-based plates, a decision it says is to cater to the growing demand for more options outside of salads and warm bowls.
The first Little Sesame restaurant opened in D.C. in 2016, and its current restaurant is at 1828 L St. NW, and serves hummus bowls, pita sandwiches and salads. Its hummus is also sold in retail outlets, including Whole Foods Market.