A New Tender Greens Location Joins Boston’s Fast-Casual Lunch War

Tender Greens — a casual California-based chain that serves a wide-ranging menu centering around seasonal, local ingredients — opens its second Massachusetts location this week, debuting at Copley Place (100 Huntington Ave., Back Bay, Boston) in the evening on Wednesday, December 12. The first 50 customers will get a free meal in celebration of the opening.

Tender Greens first expanded to Massachusetts in April 2018 with a Chestnut Hill location (49 Boylston St.); there’s also one New York City location and 26 spread across several Californian cities. While its name evokes thoughts of salad, its menu actually features a lot more, including customizable plates that start with a protein (such as chipotle barbecue chicken, falafel, or grilled salmon) and also include greens (of course) and a side (soups, rice, potatoes, etc.).

When the New York location was in the planning stages, Eater NY described it as a “blend between Sweetgreen and Dig Inn,” two other office-lunch-friendly, counter-service chains that also emphasize partnerships with local farms and have also been expanding quite a bit around the Boston area. Once it opened, Eater NY critic Ryan Sutton provided some advice to would-be customers: “Eat proteins, mostly fried chicken, here...The sandwich easily ranks with, and perhaps even surpasses, the fried chicken efforts of both Shake Shack and Fuku, though this one’s a touch more expensive.”

Tender Greens [Official Photo]

The Tender Greens growth within Massachusetts comes a few years after the company secured an expansion-fueling investment from restaurateur Danny Meyer, of Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group fame.

“Boston is one of my favorite cities,” Tender Greens CEO Denyelle Bruno said in a press release announcing the latest opening. “I’m hopeful that Tender Greens will make an impression on Bostonians.” (The Chestnut Hill location has apparently been satisfying locals since its opening earlier this year; across Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews, it’s currently averaging above four stars out of five.)

Tender Greens at Copley Place will seat nearly 100 people between indoor and seasonal outdoor spaces, and the interior features murals from Boston artist Mia Cross. Exact timing of this evening’s opening hasn’t been determined yet; visit the Tender Greens website this afternoon for updates and for a shot at snagging one of the 50 free meals.

• Tender Greens Coverage on Eater [EBOS]
• Tender Greens [Official Site]