Food

At Planta, Steven Salm harnesses the culinary power of plants

The founder and CEO of the 11-unit restaurant concept puts indulgence front and center.

“If you’re a broccoli or watermelon, stay away from Planta,” warns Steven Salm, founder and CEO of the veggie-centric restaurant concept. “We can do serious damage.”

Indeed, what Salm calls a “plant-powered” menu offers indulgent, chef-driven items like Bang Bang Broccoli, ahi watermelon sushi and noodles with truffle mushroom cream, all served in a polished-casual setting with a full bar pouring craft cocktails and biodynamic wines.

Planta’s mission is to open diners’ minds and taste buds to the creativity that can be associated with plants, he says. There are now 11 locations in the restaurant's portfolio, and while half of the menu is consistent across them all, dedicated sections may focus on Asian, Pan-Latin or Italian specialties.

Steven Salm
Steven Salm, founder and CEO of Planta

Listen as Salm shares how a personal lifestyle shift inspired him to start Planta, why the brand's dining experience and plant-based menu attracts many guests who aren’t vegans, and why a fast-casual spinoff may be in its future.

Subscribe to Menu Feed on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Leadership

Who's on your fantasy restaurant-management team?

Reality Check: Why bother with fantasy football when the ideal virtual C-suite is waiting to be picked? Here's my roster.

Food

Veggie Grill evolves the menu to keep pace with plant-based trends

Behind the Menu: Since the fast casual’s start in 2006, many new meat and dairy alternatives have come to market and consumers’ health perceptions have changed. Veggie Grill has been forced to change too.

Financing

The Subway saga takes another turn

The Bottom Line: Just when we thought the massive deal was set to go through, the feds stepped in to have their say.

Trending

More from our partners