A fake Sweetgreen franchise raises questions about Chinatown gentrification and labor disparity

For Alexander Si, an Asian American artist who spent most of his life in China and Canada, visiting the fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen can be a strange experience. Si moved to Chinatown around three years ago, and now works on projects inspired by aspects of American popular culture that have made an impression on him as an immigrant.

His most recent work is a life-size facsimile of a Sweetgreen franchise, including a replica of the eatery’s stylish online order pick-up shelf and seating area with a video of a real sweetgreen embedded inside the seats, at the downtown art gallery Chinatown Soup. He means to raise questions about gentrification and economic disparity among consumers and workers. But some local activists think Si's missed the target.