From Drive-Thrus to Fast-Casual Eateries, Restaurants Everywhere Are Going Plant-Based

BURGERBURGER REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION From drive-thrus to fast-casual eateries, restaurants everywhere are going plant-based. Buckle up as author Mark Hawthorne explores the fastest- growing trend in convenience eating. 34 VegNews SEPTEMBER+OCTOBER 2018 alternatives, and the selection gets bigger Indeed, Veggie Grill is a near- every day. But the real stars are veggie- perfect example of how rapidly the based businesses that are establishing vegan fast-food market is growing. WHEN a powerful presence in an industry long The 12-year-old chain has 35 all-vegan dominated by golden arches and frosty- restaurants across the country and plans White Castle became the first fast-food haired Southern colonels. Why settle for a to double that number by 2020. Heeley chain to sell the Impossible Burger last cheeseless pizza or an order of fries when observes a generational shift in dining April, it signaled a dramatic shift in the you can choose from an entire menu that preferences that seems to be behind the meals-to-go marketplace. By offering a puts the focus on plants? mainstreaming of herbivorous fast food. plant-based slider that sizzles, smells, “Our research concluded that millennials and savors like its animal-derived Secret sauce eat 52 percent more vegetables than other counterpart, White Castle is courting not Even in the 21st century, not every new generations,” he says, “which is why we’re just vegetarians, but mainstream burger- development is a winner (remember committed to bringing Veggie Grill’s chef- lovers who want their comfort food Google glasses?), but the popularity of driven, veggie-centric food to Chicago, served with a side of social responsibility. plant-based fast food is spreading like Boston, Berkeley, and New York.” It also Meatless, it seems, is no longer just mustard on a bun. As the world’s first recently opened its first college concept for Mondays. I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-meat burger location on the University of California Los With animal agriculture one of the joint, VeganBurg specializes in juicy Angeles campus. BY THE NUMBERS 160,000 50 MILLION Here is a quick look at The number of fast-food restaurants The number of customers fast-food how historical fast-food in the United States restaurants serve each day figures stack up. leading causes of climate change and patties made from soy or mushrooms. Although their chain isn’t expanding environmental destruction—not to “Someone needed to start it to prove that as rapidly as Veggie Grill, Andy and mention the suffering of animals—more the concept would work,” says Alex Tan, Rachel Berliner have an equally consumers than ever are opting for veg- who founded VeganBurg in Singapore in ambitious plan for their company. The forward cuisine. A 2018 market analysis 2010. He opened a San Francisco location duo may be best known for their line by Nielsen found that sales of vegan foods in 2015, energizing the Haight-Ashbury of frozen entrées sold under the label are far outpacing the growth of non- district with bold burger flavors like Amy’s Kitchen, a brand named after vegan foods, especially among people of avocado beetroot and char-grilled satay. their daughter. The products have been color and millennials. Recent research “Our vision is to be the burger of the a mainstay among vegetarians for three from Mintel, meanwhile, reveals that new generation.” decades, so when the Berliners cooked food taste and health benefits are also Veggie Grill, another early adopter, up the idea for a drive-thru, it was a primary reasons for choosing plant-based was one of the first chains to add natural extension of their passion for options. This could explain why mobile the Beyond Burger to its extensive convenience food with a conscience. food-ordering company GrubHub saw menu of hot sandwiches, bowls, and “For over 20 years, people have been vegan orders grow by nearly 20 percent shareable sides. “Our core consumers asking us to open a drive-thru,” says in 2017. are millennials and mindful eaters of all Andy. “Many of our customers said Grab-and-go chains such as Au demographics that live throughout the they just don’t want their kids eating Bon Pain, Chipotle, Subway, and Taco US but are concentrated in major cities,” traditional fast-food fare, so we finally Bell have taken notice; each company says CEO Steve Heeley, who adds that did it.” The sustainability-focused offers at least one menu item to satisfy just 20 percent of customers identify restaurant opened in Rohnert Park, CA consumers hungry for compassionate as vegetarian. in 2015. “It wasn’t easy, but the response VEGNEWS.COM VegNews 35 has been fantastic.” The company prides In a way, Landau says, he and Jacoby otherwise would not have thought about itself on offering local, organic fare, and are getting back to their roots, since this trying a plant-based burger.” they’ll be opening a second location in is how they were cooking in the mid-‘90s. As research shows, the health neighboring Marin County soon with “I love being able to channel some two benefits of a plant-based diet are a a long-term goal of Amy’s Drive Thrus decades of fancy cooking back into my love big draw for people reducing their across the country. of sandwiches,” he says. Landau admits the consumption of animals. challenge is bigger because they’re in the “Some people come to us because Taking root cheesesteak capital of the world. “So we their doctors told them to eat less meat,” Perhaps the most inspiring trend isn’t have to work extra hard to make sure that says Andy Kalish, who teamed up with the customer seeking plant-based food, our product is that much more delicious his wife Gina Marino-Kalish to open their but the skeptical meat-lover who’s won and satisfying. That said, it’s shocking how eponymous counter-serve eatery K l’ish in over. Nicole Marquis, who founded the many people will opt for the vegan version Chicago in 2016 with creative sandwiches Philadelphia-based chain HipCityVeg of the cheesesteak even though they’re not like their Green Mash-Up (veggie patty in 2012, estimates that less than 20 vegan themselves. It’s at least 75 percent with avocado verde mash, leafy greens, percent of her customers are vegetarian. omnivore in there.” and almond ricotta) and the jackfruit- Diners often walk in having no idea the based Pulled Pork-N-Jack. “They will hug restaurant doesn’t serve animal-based Nourishing noms us because they feel relief that our foods food. “I’m not trying to trick anyone,” Almost every plant-centered, quick-service are so familiar and delicious, so eating she says. “Veg is in the name. But people restaurant offers nostalgia-layered entrées plant-based becomes easy.” Ultimately, the come in, they see ‘chicken’ is spelled such as animal-free beef burgers, chicken joy for the Kalishs is showing people how a little differently, they eat it, and say, sandwiches, and chili cheese fries, but satisfying vegan fast food can be. “We get 80 PERCENT 836 19 PERCENT The percentage of fast-food diners who eat The number of calories in The percentage that vegan fast food at least once a month the average fast-food meal GrubHub orders grew in 2017 ‘That was the best chicken sandwich some also put a premium on ethics. to change minds every day about what it ever.’” When unsuspecting customers The all-vegan, Oregon-based Next Level means to eat a burger.” are told they’ve just eaten a plant-based Burger (NLB), for example, is committed Since the popular fast-food rubric “quick chicken sandwich, they’re amazed. “We to stuffing buns with natural ingredients. and tasty” is now being enthusiastically love that,” says Marquis. “We don’t try to “Everything we serve is produced through applied to plant-based menus, it’s clear compete with other vegan restaurants. the filter of ‘would we put that in front of that speedy vegan service has gone from We try to compete with the best fast- our kiddos?’” says Matt de Gruyter, who the fringe to the forefront. And while it is casual restaurants in the world.” opened the first NLB with his wife, Cierra, true that name-brand outlets are beginning Chef Rich Landau knows just what in 2014. The couple is even careful not to to recognize that meat-free dining is a she means. After the huge success of offer chocolate in their shakes that’s the genuine cultural shift, it’s entrepreneurs their high-end Philadelphia restaurant product of child slavery—a major issue with a talent for creating trendsetting Vedge, Landau and his wife, Kate Jacoby, even with some vegan chocolate. “When plant-based fare who are pioneering a expanded their vegan empire last year it comes to things like chocolate and new wave of ethical eating. That’s good with Wiz Kid, a plant-based cheesesteak where it’s sourced, it is so important that news, because consumers have a growing shop where the signature sandwich is we put our money where our mouth is,” appetite for vegan food—no matter how made from seitan, mushrooms, fried he adds. fast it’s served. onions, and rutabaga “wiz” on a potato Of the thousands who dine at NLB roll. “At the end of the day, people just every day, only about 30 percent are vegan Mark Hawthorne (markhawthorne.com) is love good food,” says Landau. “Make or vegetarian, says de Gruyter. “It’s been a the author of the upcoming 10th-anniversary it taste great, and no one will really great opportunity for us to both preach to edition of Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide question what’s not in there.” our choir and speak to people who maybe to Animal Activism.

Load more