Isabella Aldridge of Neat

Isabella Aldridge. Image supplied.

Neat: “We Aim to Make Neat a Globally Recognized Name Synonymous With Quality, Convenience, and Innovation in Plant-Based Dining”

Plant-based fast food chain Neat Burger has recently announced a rebrand, dropping “Burger” from its name to become simply Neat. The change heralds a new era for the brand, which will now shift its focus towards fresher, healthier dishes in line with evolving consumer demands. Launched in 2019, Neat has four locations in London along with international locations in Milan and New York City. Following the opening of the NYC restaurant last year, Neat reported that sales had beaten expectations, and the company subsequently raised $18 million in Series B funding. Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is a long-time backer, and the chain has also previously received investment from Leonardo DiCaprio. Isabella Aldridge, Head of Brand & Marketing at Neat, told us more about the …

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Burger King Germany makes plant-based meals cheaper than meat

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Burger King Germany Makes Plant-Based Meals Cheaper Than Meat

Burger King Germany has reduced the price of all plant-based meals by 10 cents, making them cheaper than the chain’s meat-based options. The change is part of a “Plant-based for Everyone” campaign, which aims to encourage consumers to try meat-free food and emphasise the variety of flavours on offer. Burger King says it has received very positive feedback for its plant-based range and is seeing increased demand. The chain will also be introducing a new flower-shaped patty for its plant-based beef-style burgers, developed in collaboration with The Vegetarian Butcher. This will allow for easy visual differentiation between plant-based and conventional beef options. It comes after Burger King developed a new breading with parsley sprinkles to clearly distinguish its plant-based chicken patties and nuggets from meat. …

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smashburger jackfruit burger

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Smashburger Adds jack & annie’s Jackfruit Burgers at All US Locations, Serves Them in Non Vegan Buns

Smashburger, a burger chain operating corporate and franchise locations in 9 countries, has partnered with fellow Colorado brand jack and annie’s to offer a jackfruit burger at all US restaurants. Following the success and positive feedback from consumers during a limited-time menu test last summer at select Smashburger locations in Colorado, New York, New Jersey and Chicago, the chain decided to offer the plant-based burger as a permanent menu item in all branches. “As plant-based alternatives become more common on menus across the industry, it was natural to expand our menu,” said Eric Marcoux, Chief Restaurant Support Officer at Smashburger. “When we discovered jack & annie’s, we knew we were in the right place with our shared Colorado connections and our shared food philosophy of …

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Neat Burger Announces Rebrand to “Neat” with New Look and Focus on Fresh, Healthy Ingredients

Plant-based fast food concept Neat Burger has announced that it will rebrand to Neat, rolling out a new menu featuring “brighter, healthier and fresher” ingredients. The rebrand is a response to customer feedback and will feature a new look and feel at physical locations, along with the removal of self-service tablets in favor of more interactive customer service. In terms of menu offerings, the change will cater to growing consumer preferences for natural, whole food plant-based meals. The new concept was soft-launched at Neat Victoria and Neat Soho yesterday, February 12, and will officially open at these locations, along with Neat Camden, on February 19. Neat Wembley, along with the chain’s international locations in New York City and Milan, will follow later in the year. …

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KFC Could Be Set to Open a Vegetarian Location in India’s Holy City of Ayodhya

Officials in the Indian city of Ayodhya have said they are prepared to grant KFC permission to open a fully vegetarian location. Ayodhya is considered a holy city, with ties to religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Consequently, the sale of meat and alcohol is banned within the city’s Panch Kosi Parikrama (a 15-kilometre pilgrimage route), in line with religious beliefs. This means that KFC has been prevented from opening a location in the area to date. However, tourism is on the increase in Ayodhya following the opening of the new Ram Mandir temple last month. As a result, officials are welcoming major fast food chains into the city — as long as they serve fully vegetarian menus. Discussions with several chains are reportedly underway, …

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Lord of the Fries New Zealand

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New Zealand Franchise of Vegan Fast Food Chain Lord of the Fries Goes on the Market for $1.2M

Bruce Craig, who owns the New Zealand master franchise rights for Australia-based vegan fast food chain Lord of the Fries, has put the business on the market for $1.2 million. Craig bought the rights in 2016, and has since helped the franchise grow to six stores across New Zealand — two in Auckland and one each in Wellington, Christchurch, Botany, and Hamilton. The chain was turning over $3.5 million before the pandemic, but the lockdowns and ensuing move to working from home have reduced sales. However, business is said to be improving as more workers return to the office. Lord of the Fries has 25 employees across its New Zealand stores. Craig and his wife are now looking to sell the business as they are …

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On The Green Side clean label chicken alternatives

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ProVeg South Africa Report Shows Significant Rise in Plant-Based Options in Fast Food Industry

ProVeg South Africa has released a report on the prevalence of plant-based options in South Africa’s fast-food and restaurant industry, offering in-depth analysis and ranking of major chains based on their plant-based offerings, advertising strategies, product naming, and more. According to the report, fast-food consumption in South Africa has surged by 33.1% since 2019, spurred by challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and load-shedding crises in the country, which caused many people to turn to fast food due to power outages in their homes. In response to growing health, ethical, and environmental concerns, plant-based main dishes have seen a 16.67% increase in menus, though they still constitute less than 5% of the total offerings. The rise in vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian consumers, who now, according to …

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ALL LEAF NO BEEF TERIYAKI

© Chopstix Noodle Bar

UK Chinese Food Chain Chopstix Noodle Bar Launches No Beef’ Teriyaki Dish in 100 Locations

Chopstix Noodle Bar, operating over 100 locations throughout the UK, has launched a plant-based Teriyaki Beef dish created by Miami Foods called ‘All Leaf, No Beef’ Teriyaki to its stores across the nation in celebration of Veganuary. The noodle bar first launched 20 years ago in the famous Camden Market and now operates locations in almost every major town and city in the UK. The chain launched its first vegan dish — Green Thai Tofu Curry — in 2019, and has since added further vegan options including Pumpkin Katsu Curry and Salt ‘N’ Pepper Potatoes. The new Teriyaki dish entails plant-based ‘beef’ strips with peppers, onions, and Chopstix’ secret recipe sweet Teriyaki sauce. The producer of the vegan beef is London’s Miami Foods, which offers …

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Dave's Hot Chicken Not Chicken

© Dave's Hot Chicken

Dave’s Hot Chicken Embraces Plant-Forward Trend With Cauliflower ‘NOT Chicken’

Amended January 15th: It has come to light since publication that Dave’s Not Chicken is not vegan-friendly, as the batter and bun contain dairy and egg ingredients.  Los Angeles-based fast-food chain Dave’s Hot Chicken has introduced a plant-based menu option for the first time in its seven-year history. Named “Dave’s NOT Chicken,” the new offering consists of Cauliflower Sliders and Bites, available at all 180 locations across the United States and Canada. The Cauliflower Sliders and Bites are crafted from a fresh, whole head of cauliflower that is hand-sliced, breaded, seasoned, and fried to order, featuring the signature spices that have made Dave’s Hot Chicken a favorite among customers. The menu item allows guests to choose from seven spice levels, ranging from No Spice to …

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Papa John's BBQ vegan chicken pizza

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Papa John’s UK Introduces New Vegan BBQ “Chicken” Pizza for Veganuary

Papa John’s announces its latest plant-based offering: the Vegan BBQ “Chicken” pizza, just in time for Veganuary. This new limited-time offering will be available from January 2nd at Papa John’s locations in the United Kingdom. Papa John’s also offered a plant-based pizza during Veganuary last year with its Ve-Du-Ya and Hot Pepper pizza, featuring plant-based ‘nduja, a spicy spreadable sausage, topped with green peppers and jalapenos. Additionally, Papa John’s launched the Vegan BBQ Shot pizza in its Chilean locations last year, featuring NotCo’s NotChicken. The Vegan BBQ “Chicken” pizza 2024 builds on these previous successes after the pizza chain reported an 81% increase in plant-based pizza orders. The pizza includes a combination of Papa John’s vegan ‘Sheese,’ new plant-based “Chicken” slices, mushrooms, onions, and a BBQ …

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Meta Burger long sandwich with fries on purple background

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Meta Burger Brings New Plant Meats by Umaro Foods, Fable, & Unreal Deli to Colorado

Colorado plant-based fast-casual restaurant chain Meta Burger recently added three new plant meats that (it claims) are unavailable to Coloradans in retail stores: Umaro Foods‘ Bacon, Fable Food Co‘s Shiitake Pulled Pork, and Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli Sliced Turkey. Currently operating two restaurants in the state, a drop from three, Meta offers a range of fully vegan sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs, with the existing lineup including the Meta “Beef” Patty made from Hungry Planet’s organic soybean base, Meta Crispy “Chicken” made from Hungry Planet’s organic soybean and wheat protein base, and a Lentil Patty created in-house. This February, bee-free honey produced by MeliBio was added to the specials menu, bringing the “last animal-free ingredient…to make delicious offerings fully from plants”. Now the new options …

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Seth and Spike exterior PLNT Burger

© PLNT Burger

Seth Goldman & Spike Mendelsohn: “The Whole Category Has Been Under Assault by the Animal-Based Meat Industry”

Seth Goldman and Spike Mendelsohn, well-known to most of our US readers, are the visionaries behind Eat the Change and PLNT Burger, one of the most successful plant-based fast food chains in North America. Mendelsohn is the chef and owner of Vim & Victor, We the Pizza, Santa Rosa Taqueria, and Good Stuff Eatery, while Goldman co-founded Honest Tea and has served as a member of the board at Beyond Meat for over ten years. The duo have been working together for years after meeting in 2017 at a food policy panel at George Washington University. Leveraging Goldman’s mission-driven entrepreneurial expertise and Mendelsohn’s culinary prowess, the two partners have launched multiple successful endeavors since they joined forces. The pair launched their first joint business, PLNT …

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Neat Burger to close four London locations

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Neat Burger to Close Four London Locations Following Decrease in Footfall

UK-based vegan restaurant chain Neat Burger has announced it will be closing four of its London locations due to “macro pressures reflected across the industry”. The company said the shift towards remote and hybrid working patterns had reduced footfall, while rising food, energy, and property costs were also negatively impacting sales. Neat Burger’s losses increased by 140% last year, reaching £7.9 million. Consequently, the chain’s restaurants in Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street, and Westfield Stratford will close before Christmas, leaving four remaining locations. Neat Burger says any future expansion will focus on compact, high-footfall locations, and has dropped plans for new sites in Kings Road, Waterloo, Queensway, and the O2 Arena. The chain will also work to expand its delivery radius in partnership with …

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Burger King has launched a plant-based restaurant in Puerto Rico.

© Burger King Puerto Rico

Burger King Launches 15th Plant-Based Restaurant Powered by The Vegetarian Butcher in Puerto Rico

Article update 15 Nov: The Vegetarian Butcher informs us that this location does serve a “limited amount of eggs and dairy,” and as such consumers must be conscious of this if visiting the restaurant. Burger King has launched its 15th plant-based restaurant, powered by The Vegetarian Butcher: “La Casa Veggie,” in Puerto Rico.  Using the motto, “Try the green side of flavor,” the new store in Plaza Trujillo Alto offers customers a “full veggie experience,” including plant-based versions of Burger King classics such as Whopper, Long Chicken Sandwich, Nuggets, and other options, such as salads and wraps, all made with The Vegetarian Butcher’s products.  Simultaneously, Burger King has launched its veggie options on the regular menus in all of its Puerto Rico locations. “The taste …

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Neat Burger

© Neat Burger

Neat Burger Continues its Epic Expansion with First-Ever Italian Location

The UK vegan fast food chain Neat Burger, backed by the famous animal and environmental activists Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has gained media attention in Italy. As revealed by local newspapers, the first-ever Neat Burger in Italy will open its doors in Milan on November 15, 2023. The new restaurant will be inside Merlata Bloom, a newly opened mega mall in Cascina Merlata, a district of the Northern city. The chain will offer its popular menu of plant-based versions of all-American classics, including burgers, shakes, wraps, and sandwiches. However, to make it more local, the chain will introduce Italian products, such as pesto and mozzarella, said Italy24. Moreover, according to Green Me, the Milanese eatery will feature table service, taking inspiration …

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Furahaa launches public fundraising campaign

Arthur Devillers © Furahaa

French Vegan Chain Furahaa Launches €1M Fundraising Campaign to Fuel International Expansion

Furahaa, a vegan fast-food chain based in France, has launched its first ever public fundraising campaign. The company hopes to raise €1 million via a secure platform, opening up 10% of its capital to the public. The funding will enable Furahaa to expand its mini-franchise concept, Furahaa Express. The chain hopes to open at least 30 franchised restaurants in 2024 alone, based in compact containers containing a kitchen and extraction system. The aim is to make vegan food as widely accessible as possible, which will include expanding beyond France. Furahaa also has a B2B arm, PlantB2B, which provides plant-based products to food service customers. Additionally, the company operates the vegan subscription box service ViVeg. Founded by deaf entrepreneur Arthur Devillers, Furahaa works to provide job …

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The Beefy Boys vegan burger

© The Beefy Boys

UK Chain The Beefy Boys Launches Its First Vegan Burger

The Beefy Boys, a UK burger chain with locations in Hereford, Cheltenham, and Shrewsbury, has introduced its first vegan option. The Beef Free Boy consists of a mushroom-based patty in a bun with lettuce, onion, gherkin, vegan dirty mayo, and vegan cheese. The launch comes in response to growing customer demand for plant-based options; while the chain does already offer three meatless burgers, they all contain dairy cheese. The burger has now rolled out at all three Beefy Boys locations after a successful trial in Hereford in July. Launched in 2011, The Beefy Boys is said to have a cult following and won two categories at this year’s National Burger Awards. The chain prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients and authentic cooking methods. “Our …

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Taco Bell Vegan Nacho Cheese

© Taco Bell Corp.

Taco Bell Announces Nationwide Launch of Vegan Nacho Sauce in the United States

Taco Bell is reintroducing its popular Nacho Fries, but this time with a plant-based twist. The fast-food chain is launching the dish with Vegan Nacho Sauce, marking its first national release of a vegan limited-time offering.  On October 12th, the Nacho Fries with Vegan Nacho Sauce will be available at participating Taco Bell locations across the entire United States as part of the chain’s aim to expand its appeal to customers with various dietary preferences.   In 2022, vegetarian options accounted for 23% of Taco Bell’s product sales, prompting trials of a Vegan Crunchwrap at select US locations in June 2023, which also featured Vegan Nacho Cheese. After receiving positive feedback, the company began working on ways to offer the sauce on a broader scale.  Liz …

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Chunk Foods chunk steak sandwich

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Chunk Foods Partners with Neat Burger to Launch Chunk Steak Sandwich in Manhattan

Chunk Foods has unveiled its newest foodservice partnership, this time collaborating with Neat Burger, a vegan fast-casual restaurant headquartered in London UK. The centerpiece of this collaboration is the Chunk Steak Sandwich, now available exclusively at Neat Burger’s Nolita location in the heart of Manhattan.  This partnership represents a significant step forward for Chunk Foods, as it marks the introduction of Chunk Steak to the fast-casual dining landscape. Founder and CEO of Chunk Foods, Amos Golan, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “We’re thrilled to partner with Neat Burger to introduce the Chunk Steak Sandwich. This marks a milestone as Chunk steak becomes available at a fast-casual dining establishment for the first time.” The Nolita location opened earlier this year, making it the first …

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Mcdonald's Mcplant

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McDonald’s Launches the McPlant in Switzerland and Slovenia

McDonald’s continues its global plant-based menu expansion following the successful launch of the McPlant Steakhouse in the Netherlands, which features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat and three other new plant-based options. Now, Switzerland and Slovenia are the latest European destinations to add meatless offerings to the menu. McPlant in Switzerland As the popularity of flexitarianism continues to grow in Switzerland, McDonald’s is catering to the demand by introducing the McPlant to the menu. The plant-based patty is crafted in collaboration with Beyond Meat and can be served entirely plant-based by omitting the cheese and sauce.  Lara Skripitsky, managing director of McDonald’s Switzerland, highlights: “With the McPlant, we offer our guests who eat flexitarian food even more choice. The McPlant patty is made from plant-based …

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