Eiko Onishi has designed an app in Hong Kong that will encourage restaurants to offer more vegan menu options and will connect meat-free eaters to those restaurants. Pay-a-Vegan looks set to launch this summer.
The app will credit each app user with $1 for every receipt that is uploaded and shows that a vegan meal was purchased. The credit can be redeemed in the app’s service partner restaurants in the region. Pay-a-Vegan is hoping to further boost the growing demand for plant-based in the flexitarian market, and will collect data to evidence what and where people are eating; consumer analysis they intend to share with subscribed food vendors.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Onishi worked in her family’s decorations business up until last year. She decided to switch focus and enrolled in a programme by North American start-up accelerator – The Founder Institute – which incubates green businesses, and Pay-a-Vegan was born. Once she has the backing of investors and government grants, she aims to launch in June.
Ms Onishi told the South China Morning Post: “Chinese people are eating a lot of meat and seafood. I want to change that, though I’m not asking people to not eat meat at all. Instead of convincing people to open a new, purely vegan restaurant, it’s easier to ask regular restaurants to perhaps increase their vegan options.”
