plant_based

Financing

Clover Food Lab, once a hot concept, declares bankruptcy

The 12-unit Massachusetts plant-based chain sought debt protection after sales didn’t recover as expected and financing froze just as it kicked off expansion plans.

Food

Veggie Grill shifts menu back to its whole-ingredient roots

Meat analogs are still available, but the plant-based chain is offering more for those seeking protein from tempeh, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.

The beloved Nacho Fries are back and this time in a new large size that can be ordered with dairy-free nacho sauce for those who want nothing to do with cheese.

Sweetgreen, Cava and Salad and Go are part of a new generation of chains looking for the Holy Grail of the restaurant industry: Building a national chain of healthy fast-food restaurants. This is how they're doing it.

Mushrooms are known to add meatiness to meatless cooking, but now the rest of the fungi kingdom is getting a shot in restaurant and foodservice kitchens.

The Bottom Line: The burger chain kicked off the plant-based, fast-food trend with the introduction of the menu item five years ago. While the trend has slowed at quick-service concepts, that doesn’t make the move any less important.

The remaining 17 units will focus on revitalization and menu innovation. CEO and co-founder T.K. Pillan said the plant-based movement has been "over-hyped" and is now becoming "normalized."

Behind the Menu: Chef Rodolfo Cuadros of Bloom Plant Based Kitchen created the spicy Fire Banh Mi as part of the fast casual’s continuing “Chef Sandwich Series.”

The Bottom Line: Beyond Meat’s foodservice sales declined 45% last quarter as the everyday fast-food consumer remains a substantial skeptic.

The fast-casual is packing up a plant-based meal-to-go featuring its new Veggie Shack burger and non-dairy chocolate frozen custard.

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