Fast Food

Next Level Burger Stacked Vegan Burger

©Next Level Burger

West Coast Favorite Next Level Burger Opening New Flagship Location in Denver, CO

Plant-based burger chain Next Level Burger announces it is opening its flagship restaurant in Denver, CO on August 20th. The new outlet will be the Oregon-based brand’s ninth national location and first in Colorado.  Calling itself “America’s First Plant-Based Burger Joint”, the eight-year-old Next Level brand is famous for its healthy yet decadent take on fast food, ranging from stacked vegan burgers and Crispy Chik’n sandwiches to baskets of tenders, loaded fries and creamy hand-spun milkshakes.  Next Level emphasizes clean eating by maintaining a non-GMO policy and using all-organic produce as well as compostable packaging. The brand is concentrated on the West Coast but operates additional locations in Brooklyn and Austin, TX.   Quadrupling locations In February 2022, the chain announced plans for an accelerated US …

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© Slutty Vegan

Slutty Vegan Prepares to Open First NYC Restaurant in Brooklyn Next Month

Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of burger phenomenon Slutty Vegan, announces Slutty Vegan Brooklyn will officially open on Saturday, September 17th. Located at 690 Fulton Street in Fort Greene, the new restaurant marks the brand’s first franchise in New York, and its 7th national location. Known for its provocatively named burgers, Slutty Vegan was founded in 2018 and has become world-famous both for its indulgent fast food and epic long lines. The Brooklyn location comes several months after Cole raised $25M in a Series A funding round to open 20 new locations over the next two years. The round’s investors included iconic restaurateur and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer.  Cole, who says she aims to “build a billion dollar brand”, has embarked on multiple successful projects …

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Taco Bell Crispy Melty Taco

©Taco Bell

Taco Bell Trials New Plant-Based Meat in 50 Locations, Still Planning Beyond Meat Launch

Taco Bell USA announces it is testing a new meat substitute made with pea and soy protein at 50 restaurant locations in Birmingham, AL. For a limited time, the Crispy Melt Taco and Nachos Bell Grande will feature the new protein, which can also be ordered on any of the chain’s menu items. Taco Bell reveals this product is separate from the company’s ongoing collaboration with Beyond Meat, which will launch a product by the end of 2022.  Same cost as beef According to the brand, its custom plant-based meat is “inspired by classic Taco Bell flavors” and is featured in the brand-new Crispy Melt Taco, a fried white corn tortilla filled with non-vegan shredded cheese and nacho cheese sauce. The Crispy Melt sells for …

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Kevin Hart Vegan Fast Food

©Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart’s Vegan Hart House Restaurant Opening Aug. 25, With Eye Towards National Expansion

Comedian Kevin Hart reveals his plant-based fast food concept, Hart House, will open its first location in LA’s Westchester neighborhood on Thursday, August 25th.  Serving a menu of burg’rs, chick’n sandwiches, salads, fries, and milkshakes, Hart House aims to “disrupt fast food” with healthier and more affordable plant-based options, Hart says.  Several Southern California locations are already in the works, and the brand is looking toward US national expansion, with the eventual goal of competing with fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King, reports Nation’s Restaurant News.  Custom-made proteins Hart House is serving proprietary plant-based meats created by Mike Salem, Burger King’s former head of culinary innovation, who was hired by Hart House’s team to develop all-new protein analogs.  “Our analogs are at such …

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meat-free sub

© Lion's Choice

Lion’s Choice Launches Meat-Free Sub in Collaboration With Hungry Planet

St. Louis-based fast-food chain Lion’s Choice has joined forces with local alt-meat startup Hungry Planet to offer a meat-free sub. Best known for its roast beef sandwiches, this is the first time Lion’s Choice has offered plant-based meat in its 55-year history. The sub features Hungry Planet’s soy-based meatballs on a toasted bun with marinara sauce. By default, the sandwich also contains Provel cheese, but vegans can request it without. “There’s a growing portion of the population who are looking for meatless options – whether they be vegetarian or flexitarian,” said Lion’s Choice CEO Michael Kupstas. “The common factor, however, is that these customers still want the same ridiculously good food and flavor that they have come to expect, something that we’ve delivered on for …

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Pizza Hut UK

© Pizza Hut UK

Pizza Hut UK Offers Vegan Cheese for Delivery Nationwide as Meat-Free Sales Rise by 19%

Pizza Hut UK has partnered with alt-dairy brand Violife to offer vegan cheese for delivery across the country. Violife cheese has been available at Pizza Hut’s dine-in restaurants since 2017, and the partnership has now been extended to the chain’s Delivery Huts following a successful local trial earlier this summer. Customers will be able to swap the cheese on any pizza for Violife’s plant-based alternative. “The partnership gives everyone who enjoys the taste of Pizza Hut the opportunity to have a positive impact on the planet by just simply switching out their dairy cheese,” said Victoria Slater, Head of Violife UK & Ireland. Plant-based at Pizza Hut Pizza Hut has been working to improve its plant-based options for some time — in 2021, it became …

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KFC Australia Wicked Popcorn

© KFC Australia

KFC Australia Launches Plant-Based Wicked Popcorn Chicken

KFC Australia has launched its first ever plant-based option — Wicked Popcorn. The meat-free bites are made with pea protein and feature the same spice mix as the chain’s Wicked Wings. Wicked Popcorn is available in a box, a bowl, or as a Combo option with fries and a drink. It is served with a new vegan lime ranch dipping sauce. While the new offering is made entirely from plant-based ingredients, KFC Australia cautions that the Wicked Popcorn is cooked in the same fryers as the conventional popcorn chicken, meaning many customers may consider it to be unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans. Plant-based at KFC KFC has been working to offer plant-based menu items in several markets worldwide. The chain is collaborating with Quorn to …

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really happy chicken burger

© Really Happy Chicken

Vegan Fast Food Shop Really Happy Chicken Ranked 1st on ‘UK’s Top 40 Burger Bucket List’

American style vegan fast food shop Really Happy Chicken has landed at first place on the ‘UK’s top 40 burger bucket list’ with its plant-based Sticky Burger. Debuting in Brighton in 2020, Really Happy Chicken is known for its KFC-inspired menu and South American fast food flair. Selling out within just four hours on its opening day in 2020, the vegan chicken shop serves burgers, grilled wraps, fried vegan chicken wings, and more. Burger bucket list Stag party organiser StagWeb praised Really Happy Chicken on its bucket list saying that its plant-based Sticky Burger is “the perfect blend of sweet and savoury with the sticky BBQ sauce and seriously good vegan chicken”. Really Happy Chicken describes its Sticky Burger as a “crispy, golden fried vegan …

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Nomoo Cheeseburger and Fries

©Nomoo

Nomoo Partners with Nestle Professional to Develop Proprietary Plant-Based Burger, Chicken and Cheese

LA burger concept nomoo is partnering with Nestle Professional, the world’s largest global foodservice manufacturer, to develop a proprietary line of plant-based products. The companies’ first offering, a gluten-free, non-GMO pea protein burger, will launch in October 2022, with a plant-based chicken burger and cheese currently in the works.  Created to help streamline nomoo’s operations, the new line will provide key advantages for the vegan fast food brand as it prepares to expand its franchise across the US. Expected benefits include lower food costs, less waste, extended shelf-life and more consistency. The Nestle partnership will also significantly reduce labor and boost nomoo’s status as an appealing and scalable concept for potential franchisees.  “With a partner like Nestlé, renowned for its commitment to the finest ingredients, …

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Project Pollo Compete with Chick-Fil-A

©Project Pollo

Project Pollo Opens 13th Texas Location As It Aims to Compete with Chick-Fil-A

Project Pollo, a Texas vegan chicken chain, announces it will open its 6th location in San Antonio, TX on August 20th. The outlet will mark the chain’s 13th overall location as it approaches its 2nd anniversary, and continues on its bold mission to open 100 restaurants by 2025.  Crispy chick’n sandwiches For the latest opening, Project Pollo will host an August 18th celebration featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. The new location will open its doors the following day, with the first 50 guests receiving free Project Pollo gift cards.  Founded by fast food veteran Lucas Bradbury, Project Pollo opened its first restaurant in Austin in September 2020. Less than two years later, the brand has swiftly expanded throughout Texas, …

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BK Germany

© Burger King Deutschland

Burger King States Intention to Be Meat-Free Pioneer, Offers Veggie Version of Every Product Across Germany

Burger King says it wants to be a pioneer in the trend toward meat-free eating. In its 750 German branches, the company has been offering a vegetarian counterpart for all beef burgers and for almost every other meat dish since this week. “We want to give our guests a choice and expect this to go very well,” says marketing boss Klaus Schmäing in Munich. Vegetable proteins based on soy, peas or other crops, are widely expected to become critical within the food industry in the coming years. In a recent international survey by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Blue Horizon, for example, three-quarters of the 3700 respondents said they thought alternative proteins were healthier than meat. “This is no longer a niche market, as …

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Taco Bell pulled oats

© Taco Bell

The Most Googled Vegan Fast Food Options in North America

New research by meal kit comparison site Meal Delivery Experts analyzed Google searches for keywords such as “vegan options” to find which American fast food restaurant is the most popular in terms of plant-based menu options. Somewhat surprisingly, Taco Bell comes in top place with 16,600 average monthly searches. Taco Bell offers a vegan cheese sauce and like all Mexican / Tex Mex food, the menu can be easily adapted to become vegan friendly. Taco Bell has been in talks with Beyond Meat to develop permanent menu options for several months, and in the UK the chain introduced plant-based Pulled Oats by Gold & Green back in Veganuary 2021. Secondly, McDonald’s is Googled for its plant-based options on average 8,650 times per month, likely due …

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© Dicos

Beyond Meat in China: Plant-Based Pork Patties Make Their Debut & Beyond Burger Launches at Dicos

Beyond Meat has launched a new product, Plant-Based Pork Patties, onto the Chinese market. The patties are available at Tmall stores and come in two flavours — Classic and Spicy. According to Beyond, the Plant-Based Pork Patties are juicy and high in protein, with significantly less fat than their conventional pork counterparts. They come in a pack of eight and take just five minutes to cook from frozen. Beyond Pork The first Beyond Pork product was launched in 2020, created specifically for the Chinese market. This May, Beyond added a selection of plant-based pork sauces to the range. The company also opened its first Chinese DTC e-commerce site a year ago, with the aim of making its products more accessible to consumers across the country. …

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Genghis Grill / Dr. Praeger's Bowls

©Genghis Grill

Genghis Grill Adds Dr. Praeger’s Plant-Based Chick’n and Sausage to Menu

Fast casual chain Genghis Grill is partnering with Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods to add new plant-based proteins to its menu. Fans of Genghis Grill, which specializes in made-to-order stir fries, can now order Dr. Praeger’s gluten-free vegan chick’n or sausage in any bowl creation.  Based in Dallas, TX, Genghis Grill operates over 50 locations across the US. The new partnership marks the chain’s first plant-based collaboration and expands its vegan-friendly menu options beyond the current tofu offering. In addition to inclusions, Dr. Praeger’s proteins are featured in two curated chef bowls:  The Veggie Bowl (Plant-based chick’n, bell peppers, snap peas, corn, zucchini, squash, carrots, green onions, cauliflower rice, 3G sauce) Plant-Powered Sausage Bowl (Plant-based sausage, mushrooms, onions, spinach, roasted garlic, teriyaki sauce, served with cauliflower …

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Steve Easterbrook

©McDonald's

Former McDonalds CEO Steve Easterbrook Invests in Clean Kitchen Club

Steve Easterbrook, the British-born former CEO of McDonalds, has invested in London-based vegan quick-service restaurant chain Clean Kitchen Club. The sum invested has not been disclosed. Founded by Made in Chelsea star Verity Bowditch and former YouTuber Mikey Pearce, Clean Kitchen Club initially set up shop as a dark kitchen during the pandemic in 2020. By the end of 2021, the chain already had five sites across London, offering mainly burgers and bowls along with a selection of sides and smoothies. The new investment from Easterbrook follows Clean Kitchen Club’s £1.4 million seed funding round in November of last year, where the chain achieved a £7.5 million valuation less than 12 months after it launched. By that point, Clean Kitchen Club had already sold over …

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