A recent market report highlights that the rise of private-label brands will drive the vegan fast food market growth during the next few years.
According to the market report, the vegan fast food market is anticipated to grow by $18.86 billion from 2021 to 2026 at a compound annual growth rate of 11.6%. The study also finds that packaging innovations and business strategies adopted by vendors to adapt and stand out from the big sector players will also drive the market’s growth.
The state of vegan fast food in 2022
Popular fast food chains have consistently added vegan and plant-based versions of their iconic foods to attract the rising numbers of vegan customers. From Burger King launching vegan nuggets and Impossible Burgers; to Hollywood actor Kevin Hart opening his Hart House chain; to the worldwide launches of the McPlant; to Panda Express collaborating with Beyond Meat; 2022 has seen the launch of more choices for vegan fast food enthusiasts.
More work clearly has to be done in order to adequately cater for those of us choosing not to eat animals, as highlighted by a recent campaign by Mercy for Animals which urges some of the larger fast food chains — Dairy Queen, Five Guys, Quiznos, and King Taco — to add plant-based options in 2023.
Here we summarise some global vegan fast food chains offering animal-free food options in 2022.
The UK
- Really Happy Chicken: Serving American-style vegan fast food shop, was voted first place on the ‘UK’s top 40 burger bucket list’ with its plant-based Sticky Burger.
- Oowee Vegan: Currently, the chain has two diners in Bristol, two in London (Brixton and Dalston), a delivery kitchen in Manchester, and most recently opened its flagship location in Brighton. Oowee this year launched the Ocean Burger as produced by Asian alt meat giant OmniFoods.
- The Vurger: This year opened its biggest location, this time in the north of England, in addition to its venues in London and Brighton.
Europe
- La Vie‘s vegan bacon entered Burger King in multiple European markets as a result of its bold and quirky marketing
- KFC France launched Quorn based vegan chicken burger, the ‘Colonel Veggie’, to kickstart a new EU partnership between the two companies.
- Dominos Spain recently launched three vegan pizzas in collaboration with Heura.
The US and Canada
- Plant Power Fast Food: A leading vegan fast food chain with several locations around the US, offers lower-priced menu items as it works to achieve price parity with traditional fast food brands. Plant Power collaborated with plant-based meat producer Alpha Foods to develop proprietary non-GMO, gluten-free patty made from peas, with price parity to animal meat burgers.
- Hart House: With several planned LA locations, this fast food brand aims to impress the biggest carnivores with a 100% plant-based and affordable menu of burgers, sandwiches and fries.
- Odd Burger: This Canadian chain was the first vegan fast food chain to go public, and recently announced the launch of its franchising operations in the United States.
- nomoo New American Burgers: An LA fast food restaurant launching its plant-based burger concept across the US. The company aims to revolutionize the classic burger joint with 100% plant-based offerings.
Australia
- Flave: Located in Sydney, offers 100% plant-based burgers and salads. It has one location in Bondi Beach, and recently announced expansion plans across Australia and internationally as well as a crowdfunding campaign.
Samantha Cook, Flave’s co-founder & co-CEO, said: “The time is now. Demand for plant-based options is skyrocketing, 80% of Aussies want to consume less meat, and the global plant-based market is tipped to hit $160 billion by 2030.”
