2 under-the-radar growth stocks to consider for a Stocks and Shares ISA

Ben McPoland highlights a pair of lesser-known growth stocks from the restaurant industry that might be worth considering for a Stocks and Shares ISA.

| More on:
BUY AND HOLD spelled in letters on top of a pile of books. Alongside is a piggy bank in glasses. Buy and hold is a popular long term stock and shares strategy.

Image source: Getty Images

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

We’ve all probably heard of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ group of stocks — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms, and Tesla. Many investors have at least one of these tech names in their Stocks and Shares ISA portfolios.

However, there are loads of smaller growth stocks that are largely flying under the radar. Here are two that I think are worth considering.

Sweetgreen

First up is Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG), which is a restaurant chain that serves salads. The stock’s up 111% since the start of 2024, but has fallen 46% from a high reached back in November.

Last year, Sweetgreen’s revenue increased 16% to $676.8m, with comparable store sales up 6%. It opened 25 net new restaurants, bringing the total to over 230 locations across America.

CEO Jonathan Neman said: “In 2025, we’re rolling out a new and improved loyalty program, introducing exciting new menu items, and strategically investing more in marketing to bring more people into our restaurants. By staying focused on delivering an exceptional experience, we’re setting Sweetgreen up to lead — and redefine — fast food for the future.”

One thing worth highlighting is the firm’s Infinite Kitchen automation technology. This robotic assembly line replaces human workers for key tasks like portioning, mixing, and plating ingredients. It produces salads 50% faster than humans can!

The main risk here is that the company isn’t yet profitable and reported a net loss of $90.4m last year. So that’s worth bearing in mind, as is the ever-present possibility of a food safety incident.

Looking ahead though, the company’s healthy meals and local sourcing of ingredients plays into a wellness trend that’s likely to grow stronger over the next decade and beyond.

Last year, Sweetgreen’s average sales per location were around $2.9m, in line with industry giants like Chipotle Mexican Grill. I think its investments in automation could give it a competitive advantage.

The stock’s trading at a reasonable 4x sales. With a small market-cap of $2.7bn and an untapped international opportunity, I think Sweetgreen has all the ingredients (pun intended) to be winning restaurant stock.

Toast

Sticking with the food theme, I’m going to highlight Toast (NYSE: TOST). I like to think of the company as the Shopify of restaurants, as it provides an all-in-one digital platform for managing orders, payments and inventory.

The stock’s up 36% over the past year, but remains around 39% below its 2021 IPO price.

In 2024, Toast’s revenue grew 28% to nearly $5bn and it recorded its first full year of profitability — a net profit of $19m versus a net loss of $246m in 2023. Its recurring gross profit stream jumped by 34%.

Meanwhile, it added a record 28,000 net locations, bringing the year-end total to around 134,000. And Toast is now partnered with over half of the Michelin-rated restaurants in the US!

One risk here is that the firm faces a fair bit of competition, especially on the hardware side from payments firms like Block-owned Square. The stock’s forward price-to-earnings ratio also looks quite high at 40.

Looking ahead to the next few years though, analysts have revenue and earnings growing by double digits. And Toast is confident that over the next decade it can serve “many multiples” of its current locations.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Ben McPoland has positions in Shopify and Toast. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Block, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Shopify, Tesla, and Toast. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

A pastel colored growing graph with rising rocket.
Investing Articles

The FTSE 100 is up 60% in 5 years. Here’s why — and a big lesson!

The flagship FTSE 100 index has put in a very strong performance over five years. There's a specific reason for…

Read more »

Investing Articles

How much do investors need in an ISA to earn a £2,500 monthly passive income?

Charlie Carman explores how investors could strive for £30k in tax-free passive income each year from a dividend stock portfolio.

Read more »

Investing Articles

How much would a 45-year-old need to invest in an ISA to earn a £1k monthly passive income at 65?

Harvey Jones looks at how much an investor would need to put away every month to build a steady passive…

Read more »

Investing Articles

3 things to do ahead of the new 2025-26 ISA year

It's time for us all to put on our investing boots and get to work on developing our plans for…

Read more »

Older couple walking in park
Investing Articles

Is £150,000 enough to generate £1,000 a month in passive income?

Stephen Wright takes a look at three UK stocks with dividend yields above 8% that passive income investors might be…

Read more »

Investing Articles

Aim to earn a £50k second income in retirement by investing just this much each month

Even with a small monthly investment, it’s possible to earn a £50k second income with a successful investment strategy and…

Read more »

Man writing 'now' having crossed out 'later', 'tomorrow' and 'next week'
Investing Articles

Down 22% in a month! Is this my chance to buy shares in this FTSE 100 outperformer?

Shares in InterContinental Hotels Group have outperformed the FTSE 100 over the long term. So is a chance to buy…

Read more »

Investing Articles

How much would Tesla stock be worth if it was valued like Nvidia?

The market seems to view Tesla as a tech stock rather than a car manufacturer. What could this mean for…

Read more »