Wouleta Ayele will join restaurant chain Sweetgreen as its chief technology officer Aug. 17, just weeks after the company announced plans to file for a confidential IPO.
Ayele joins Sweetgreen after a 16-year stint with Starbucks, where she most recently served as the senior vice president of Starbucks Technology Services.
Culver City, California-based Sweetgreen has been investing in technology improvements and redesigning stores to improve efficiency, L.A. Biz reported. In 2013, the company was among the first fast-casual restaurant chains to create its own app and allow customers to order ahead on its website.
In its latest funding round in January, the company raised $156 million from Durable Capital Partners, which boosted the company’s valuation to nearly $1.8 billion.
In her new role, Ayele will lead Sweetgreen’s technology teams to develop solutions that help the company scale their supply chain model, advance restaurant operations, acquire new talent and develop their digital platforms.
“As we continue to scale and think about what the future of fast food will look like, the technology powering Sweetgreen plays an integral part in creating efficiencies and providing our guests with the best experience possible,” said co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.
She also held prior positions at Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Attachmate Corporation, and Ciba-Geigy
Sweetgreen was founded in 2007 by and has more than 130 restaurants. The company told the New York Times last year that its 2019 revenue topped $300 million, or more than $3 million per store.
