Historians believe that some of our earliest human ancestors first ate fish nearly 2 million years ago. According to Science, they gathered at ancient lakes and rivers in what we now know as Kenya and caught and deboned catfish with stone tools. Back then, seafood was a vital source of nutrition for our ancestors. Today, we have a plethora of foods to choose from, but we still have a big appetite for creatures from the deep blue sea. According to some estimates, global seafood production reached a staggering 179 million metric tons in 2018, and most of that was consumed by humans.

But there’s a problem with the amount of fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, and other sea animals we’re eating: research suggests that the ocean can no longer cope with our demand. According to the World Bank, nearly 90 percent of global marine fish stocks are either fully exploited or overfished. This is bad news for underwater ecosystems, because it creates a catastrophic imbalance, leading to the loss of vulnerable marine life.

But fishing gear itself is also a threat to wildlife. When industrial fishing trawlers drag their nets through the ocean, they don’t just catch fish, but they also accidentally catch animals like seals and seabirds, too. According to one study by WWF and Sky Ocean Rescue, around 720,000 seabirds, 345,000 seals and sea lions, 300,000 cetaceans, 250,000 turtles, and millions of sharks are dying annually after getting caught up in the fishing industry.

Fixing all of this is incredibly complex. The global seafood market is a profitable industry, worth more than $257 billion, and it’s run by several major corporations, like Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, US’ Red Chamber Group, and Norway’s Mowi. But at least one of the industry’s biggest players, Thailand’s Thai Union, is ready for change. Here’s more about how seafood could look in the future (hint: it could be less about fish and more about plants).

Seafood industry giant embraces vegan innovation

In 2021, Thai Union, one of the world’s biggest producers of seafood, hit headlines when it announced it was gearing up to launch vegan tempura shrimp. It wasn’t the first time the major company had dipped its toe into the plant-based sector—before that, it launched plant-based crabcakes and dim sum into the food service sector.

In 2023, the company is more committed than ever to the world of plant-based seafood. It’s driven by consumer demand, of course, but also by the exciting untapped creative potential of vegan seafood and the environmental benefits it brings.

“While the alternative meat market is fairly developed, the alternative seafood market is still in its nascency,” Maarten Geraets, Thai Union’s managing director of alternative proteins, told VegNews. It’s true that, while the plant-based meat market is expected to hit more than $15 billion by 2027, right now, estimates indicate that the plant-based fish market will hit $1.3 billion by 2031. It’s growth, but there is still plenty of room for more.

“The potential is extremely exciting and is incredibly relevant for an incumbent seafood player,” says Geraets. “This demand will drive innovation within the seafood industry, and we’ll undoubtedly see more future-fit, alternative seafood solutions in the coming years. Consumers are very willing to try new propositions, but brands need to impress to drive repeated consumption.”

In the UK and Europe, one of Thai Union’s most recognized brands is John West. When it comes to tinned tuna, you can find it in most fish-eating consumer cupboards. In a bid to capitalize on this trust and, indeed, impress its customers, earlier this year, John West launched Vegan Fish-Free Tuna with Tomato and Basil and Vegan Fish-Free Tuna with a Dash of Oil in the Netherlands, where 42 percent of the population follow a flexitarian approach to diet.

The launch supports Thai Union’s Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans initiative, which aims to strengthen its growth and profitability while also focusing on health, well-being, and sustainability. “The world needs this change,” says Geraets. “In my view, the seafood industry must adapt and embrace the rich opportunities presented by this shift in consumer behavior.”

John West

Joining with vegan innovators 

But even the biggest of companies can’t transform an industry alone. And they don’t have to, because right now, the food industry is not short of brands developing creative, great-tasting vegan seafood products.

Good Catch, for example, recently debuted the first plant-based salmon burger in the US. Canadian brand Gardein is known for its Crabless Cakes, while US brand the Ish Food Company, a certified B Corporation, makes everything from vegan shrimp to vegan lobster.

Last year, Thai Union partnered with the latter to help increase its manufacturing and distribution, and subsequently invest in the growth of the sustainable vegan seafood space. It has also partnered with French algae company Algama, plus, other seafood giants have also started to see the potential in plant-based innovation. In 2020, Bumble Bee Foods, a leading producer of canned tuna, partnered with Good Catch to help it bring its plant-based fish products to more consumers.

Much like Geraets, Bumble Bee Foods’ president Jan Tharp believes it is “critically important” for the seafood industry to adapt. “As an industry [we need to] continue to find innovative solutions to decouple growth with environmental impact,” she said in a statement. “Providing great-tasting alternative ways for consumers to enjoy ocean-inspired foods is a key pillar of our long-term commitment to ocean health.”

Other companies have kept things in-house. After spying the potential in the vegan seafood sector, Conagra Brands, another food industry giant, launched fish-free fingers under its plant-based Green Cuisine range with Birds Eye. The latter is known for its frozen fish and, in the UK, its very own fish finger mascot, Captain Birdseye, is iconic. At the time, Birds Eye’s senior marketing manager Jess Ali said that it wanted to create a vegan version of its original recipe to “appeal to more Brits dietary requirements.”

There’s no doubt, the seafood industry needs to change. But as Thai Union is keen for us to know, this isn’t going unnoticed by the fishing industry’s biggest names. Progress is underway, assures Garaets. In 2022, for example, the company launched the first vegan shrimp wonton in Thailand, which was then nominated in the Gulfood Innovation Awards “in recognition of the fresh innovation” it brought to the plant-based category.

“We are actively pursuing this opportunity for the US market and look forward to launching further alternative protein solutions for consumers in time,” said Geraets.  “As a new category, we need to develop more meaningful connections with consumers and find new ways to tell our story.”

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

When vegan fast-food restaurant Honeybee Burger first opened in Los Angeles nearly four years ago, founder Adam Weiss had one mission: to make plant-based food more accessible for the sake of human health, animals, and the planet. After opening Honeybee Burger in LA’s Mid-City neighborhood, Weiss would go on to open a ghost kitchen and a second location in Venice, CA. 

This month, Weiss is putting Honeybee Burger into hibernation and launching a brand new plant-based concept with co-owner John Salley, an NBA legend and longtime vegan. Located in the same Mid-City location that formerly housed Honeybee Burger, Mother Plucker is the city’s newest vegan chicken concept. 

After its soft opening on April 1, the vegan fast-food restaurant is gearing up for its official grand opening set for Saturday, April 15. Hungry patrons and longtime customers of Honeybee Burger can expect to find plant-based chicken tenders—made by vegan chicken company Tindle—on the menu alongside French fries, coleslaw, and a number of dipping sauces such as buffalo, three varieties of ranch (classic, avocado, and chipotle), barbecue, and Sweet Heat. 

Tindle

Dairy-free shakes in Oreo, vanilla, creamsicle, strawberry, chocolate, and Thin Mint round out Mother Plucker’s current menu. 

In the future, Mother Plucker will expand its menu with exclusive items from its corporate partner Tindle. Chicken-and-waffle sandwiches and breakfast items are just a few of the items coming to the restaurant’s menu. 

“Mother Plucker will have the exclusive launch of a few [Tindle] products,” Weiss tells VegNews. “We’ve tried every single vegan chicken on the planet, […] and Tindle’s was our favorite.” Already, this collaboration has brought an exclusive item to Mother Plucker—Tindle’s tenders are making their US debut at the chicken shop.

Taylor McKinnon

The eatery is hosting its grand opening this Saturday between 11:11 AM and 4:20 PM when customers can stop by to meet Salley himself and pick up a free mini meal that features two tenders, fries, dipping sauce, and choice of lemonade or iced tea.

“As a strong contender in the LA restaurant scene, we believe Mother Plucker will set a high bar for consumers–especially when it comes to delicious and memorable chicken dishes,” Andre Menezes, CEO of TiNDLE, tells VegNews.

“LA is home to some of the most unique and cutting-edge culinary concepts, so we’re thrilled to partner with innovators like Weiss who understand how impactful the plant-based industry can be when we harness the power of new and creative partnerships,” he says. 

Mother Plucker lands in LA

Mother Plucker is a collaborative effort by several LA vegan businesses, entrepreneurs, and community members. Among them are Taylor McKinnon, Charlie Kim, and Aaron Haxton—co-owners of Mr. Charlie’s, the gone-viral restaurant dubbed “vegan McDonald’s” by TikTok. 

Mutual connections first brought Weiss and McKinnon together. Since their first encounter, the entrepreneurs developed a relationship built on mutual support, despite them running competing businesses located less than half a mile from one another.

“[Weiss] has been a huge supporter of [Mr. Charlie’s] since we met,” McKinnon tells VegNews. “We’ve been through quite a few journeys together figuring out the market, and he’s introduced me to great people and has been a massive ambassador. When the opportunity to serve him came up, I called him.”

McKinnon, who had been working with Tindle to expand Mr. Charlie’s menu, was inspired by the company’s vegan chicken offerings—so much so that he was motivated to create an entirely new concept, Mother Plucker, around the brand’s products. 

Next Gen Foods

Weiss had disclosed to McKinnon that he was thinking about launching a new vegan concept, and after being impressed by Tindle’s tenders, McKinnon was ready to approach the Honeybee Burger founder with his idea for Mother Plucker. “I just remember thinking, ‘Adam could really use this product,” McKinnon says. 

After the duo discussed bringing Mother Plucker to fruition, Weiss ultimately decided it was time for Honeybee Burger to “go into hibernation.”

John Salley joins the team

Weiss, an investor and former Wall Street finance expert, grew Honeybee Burger from the ground up. “I know you grew Honeybee from a name, slideshow, and an idea,” Weiss recounts McKinnon telling him. “How would you feel about teaming up with a major vegan superstar?”

For McKinnon, Salley was the perfect fit. The NBA legend, a regular customer of both Mr. Charlie’s and Honeybee Burger, immediately loved the concept for Mother Plucker. 

“[McKinnon] came to me and said, ‘[Weiss] is thinking about moving Honeybee over to something different,” Salley tells VegNews. “I thought Mother Plucker was the greatest thing.”

With Salley on board as co-owner, McKinnon and Weiss connected over their ideas and goals for Mother Plucker and the transformation of the Honeybee Burger space began. 

Honeybee Burger turns into Mother Plucker

With the help of his Mr. Charlie’s co-owners, McKinnon spearheaded Honeybee Burger’s renovation. “One of my biggest dreams was to leave [Weiss and his team] at peace,” McKinnon explains. 

McKinnon banned Weiss from entering his restaurant space, and within 48 hours, Honeybee Burger was transformed into Mother Plucker. McKinnon tapped into Mr. Charlie’s team—from his co-owners to the restaurant’s sign-makers, uniform designers, and merchandise experts—to breathe life into Mother Plucker. 

“Everything was made locally to create support for the environment and our sectors,” McKinnon says. “This keeps everyone in their jobs and keeps companies [engaging] locally.”

Taylor McKinnon

During renovation, Weiss shares, he was completely out of his comfort zone but had full trust and confidence in McKinnon. When it came time to see his new restaurant, he was overjoyed with the space’s new look—but there was still one piece of business that he needed to attend to.

“We’re doing all this work, and [McKinnon] is paying for everything. I said to him, ‘We have to set your equity number,” Weiss explains. “When I go in [to Mother Plucker], I’m shaking. It was extraordinary, but I kept thinking, ‘What is he going to ask for?’”

When the two entrepreneurs finally sat down to discuss repayment, McKinnon had just a few words: “Brother, it’s yours. I want nothing.” Instead of repayment, McKinnon asked Weiss to distribute whatever equity he was willing to give him among his Mother Plucker staff. 

“I come from Wall Street,” Weiss says. “Everyone gets equity, and everyone gets paid. [McKinnon] said to me, ‘Adam, Mr. Charlie’s wouldn’t be here without Honeybee. You have done so much in this industry, and you’re taking so much risk. You have 10 beautiful team members that I want to [help support].’”

“I needed some help a long time ago,” McKinnon shares. “Mr. Charlie’s stands up and pushes community spirit. In order to keep doing that, we have to keep doing the work—it’s important to us as a brand.”

Following in Mr. Charlie’s footsteps, Mother Plucker has also committed to hiring future employees from the Dream Center, a nationwide organization that helps unhoused and formerly incarcerated people get back on their feet by providing them with housing, training, and additional resources. 

What about Honeybee Burger? Weiss decided to put the burger chain into hibernation—shuttering his Venice and ghost kitchen outposts earlier this year—after increased competition from other vegan fast-food restaurants. 

Mother Plucker

However, Weiss is toying with the idea of making Honeybee Burger a virtual concept. Some of Honeybee’s menu items may also make an appearance on the Mother Plucker menu or at in-store pop-ups. As for the restaurant’s highly anticipated New York location, Weiss has plans in development that he is hoping to announce soon. 

“The idea of Mother Plucker, and working with [McKinnon], is not one born out of failure, but of opportunity,” Weiss says. “It’s not the story of an end, but of a better beginning.”

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

By 2040, more than half of the meat we eat will no longer come from farmed animals. Rather, it will be in the form of vegan or lab-grown protein, according to a new report published by United Kingdom intellectual property specialists GovGrant.

GovGrant’s report notes that companies are expected to make continued progress and break down more barriers related to vegan and cultured meat over the next several years. Specifically, by 2040, GovGrant predicts that cultured meat will make up 35 percent of the world’s meat consumption, and vegan meat replacements will comprise 25 percent—leaving less room for the way we traditionally produce meat.  

“Since there’s such huge potential demand for lab-grown meat, that’ll only spur companies on to innovate further and perfect their products,” Adam Simmonds, a research associate at GovGrant, said in a statement. 

Eat Just

“This could become an interesting area of growth for the US and other countries, particularly as not many nations possess the expertise to produce this meat. There will definitely be an uplift in the number of producers, who’ll want to take full advantage of the upcoming boom in demand.”

United States leads growth of cultivated meat

Cultured meat, also known as lab-grown or cultivated meat, uses a small amount of animal cells and grows them in a lab setting to make a food product. The benefits to cultured meat are vast, with life-cycle assessments indicating that it will use significantly less land and water, emit fewer greenhouse gasses, and reduce agriculture-related pollution and eutrophication—in addition to no longer needing to face the ethical issues in the raising and slaughtering of animals.

Because the cultured meat sector is predicted to grow rapidly in its market share within the food industry, the report highlights the countries poised to lead the development. According to the report, the United States is currently responsible for over 60 percent of global investment in cultured meat—more than all other countries combined—and has broken the billion-dollar mark in the process. 

Comparatively, Israel (21.72 percent), the Netherlands (5.67 percent), Singapore (4.61 percent), and the United Kingdom (1.31 percent) round out the top five of GovGrant’s list of countries most invested in cultured meats, while China (1.17 percent), South Korea (0.97 percent), Japan (0.60 percent), France (0.49 percent), and Spain (0.46 percent) round out the top 10. 

Regulatory approval of cultured meat

Ever since the Singapore Food Agency approved Eat Just’s cultured chicken, created under its subsidiary GOOD Meat, in December 2020, there have been little other regulatory approvals for commercial sale of cultured meat products. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently took a step towards allowing the sale of cultured meat in the US, deeming a meat product from UPSIDE Foods to be safe for human consumption while also engaging with multiple other firms to do the same.

UPSIDE Foods

Last November, California-based company UPSIDE Foods received a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) letter from the FDA, deeming its cultivated chicken filet safe for consumption in the US. 

UPSIDE Foods worked with the FDA to receive its GRAS letter, becoming the first company in the world to get the FDA green light for cultured meat. In addition to releasing a memo explaining its approval, the FDA published a 104-page document prepared by UPSIDE Foods detailing the safety and production process of the company’s cultivated chicken filet.

“We are thrilled at FDA’s announcement that, after a rigorous evaluation, FDA accepts UPSIDE’s conclusion that our cultivated chicken is safe to eat,” David Kay, UPSIDE Foods’ Director of Communications, previously told VegNews.

“UPSIDE Foods is ushering in a new era in meat production with this ‘No Questions’ letter, and this historic step paves the way for our path to market in the United States,” Kay said.

UPSIDE Foods has been working towards approval since 2018, when the company worked with meat industry group North American Meat Institute (NAMI) to support the establishment of a regulatory framework that pairs the FDA and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) together in granting regulatory approval for cultivated meat. UPSIDE is now moving on to gain approval from the USDA. 

UPSIDE Foods

UPSIDE Foods’ regulatory approval could pave the way for mass market adoption in the US. “With the FDA rubber-stamping lab-grown meat as safe, the market should really take off now,” Alec Griffiths, IP manager at GovGrant, said in a statement. 

“That makes it more important than ever for companies to protect their assets, so we can expect to see an acceleration in the number of patents filed in the coming months and years—and plenty of new faces in the sector.”

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

Dallas, TX-based candy company Pecan Deluxe Candy recently reformulated its recipes to be vegan in an effort to avoid new British export regulations, which impose hefty taxes on animal products. To do this, the American wholesaler replaced the butter and eggs in its products with plant-based alternatives that don’t require the same European Union border checks.

Following Brexit, the new export regulations require exporters of animal-based foodstuff to submit veterinary certifications and other costly paperwork. And, depending on the interpretation of the rules, border control officials could also stop deliveries and have them returned and destroyed, further straining supply chains to customers in Europe.These have been issues that companies like Pecan Deluxe Candy have been dealing with. 

Unsplash

“One of the biggest issues that there has been is the implementation of border control checks,” Graham Kingston, managing director of the Pecan Deluxe Candy Europe, told AFP. “[They have been] stopping a lot of deliveries going through depending on interpretation of the rules, which has caused a number of issues with products being returned to us all having to be destroyed.”

Vegan products, on the other hand, are not subject to the same restrictions, making them cheaper and more efficient to transport.

Pecan Deluxe Candy is a family-owned manufacturer of candy products, including key ingredients for desserts such as toppings, baking inclusions, fudge, cookie dough, and popping candy with locations in the United Kingdom and Thailand. The company says the new regulations have cost them more than £100,000 (US $123,450), so its board of directors decided to remove animal products from their manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom to reduce these export costs for the European market. 

Canva

Now that the range of products are all vegan candy, the company says that the products are cheaper to produce and also tap into the current vegan movement. “A plant-based range has had some other benefits to offer, which are reduced pricing, and also hitting a number of trends that are in play at the moment, not least veganism,” Kingston said.

Making vegan ingredients more affordable

Although vegan products are often considered to be more expensive, the new British export rules have turned this stereotype on its head and may have other businesses reconsidering their use of animal products for the same reasons as Pecan Deluxe Candy. 

With the growth of veganism, plant-based food companies have had the extra challenge of matching the price of their animal-based counterparts because, traditionally, animal agriculture has been heavily subsidized by the government, ultimately making these products more affordable.

People Images

According to the Agriculture Fairness Alliance (AFA), in 2020 the United States government spent more than $50 billion on agricultural subsidies and bailouts, the majority of which favored the meat and dairy industries. AFA is a national advocacy organization pushing for policy changes that make sustainable plant-based foods accessible to all consumers at an affordable price. The answer, according to AFA, is to level the playing field. 

AFA is currently lobbying for changes to the 2023 Farm Bill, which supports farmers with safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs. One of AFA’s recommendations is to connect local plant-based farmers to local consumers by increasing subsidies, funding and/or programs for domestic plant-based crops, and to ensure plant growers get a fair share of programs that utilize the Commodity Credit Corporation and other monies when there are bailouts. 

“Meat eaters eat fruits and veggies, too, and should agree with us that the food system needs to change. We should not be allowing our taxes to fund Global Ag to get richer and more powerful and to control our land and the repercussions of using up our resources,” AFA posted on social media. “This is one of our Farm Bill priorities and more … making sure that our taxes are used for Direct to Consumer fruits, veggies, and grains. Not livestock-grade crops. Our tax dollars need to prioritize consumers, not global ag investors.”

Canva

In 2020, AFA urged members of Congress to support legislation that would shift the US food supply away from factory farms and into more sustainable forms of agriculture. At the time, AFA met with Congress to discuss its At-Risk Farmers pilot program which would grant funds to nonprofits to assist animal farmers who want to transition to sustainable endeavors such as supplying the plant-based food market. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the group pushed Congress to support the At-Risk Farmers Act as part of the next coronavirus relief package, along with other proposed legislation that aimed to dismantle Concentrated Feed Animal Feeding Operations (also known as factory farms)—which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), account for 98 percent of the way meat is produced. 

Pexels

“When we are taught our whole lives that the American dream means anyone can start a business and be successful so long as they offer a superior product, I never dreamed we’d be babysitting the livestock and dairy industries into imposing their own success,” AFA cofounder Connie Spence said at the time. “It’s time to let the American people decide [which] products are superior, to let our demand be felt, and to stop corporate farming interests from falsely representing American small farmers.”

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

Vegan seafood startup Boldly is taking aim at the $600 billion global seafood market with the launch of a wide range of plant-based fish products, including calamari, salmon and tuna sashimi, shrimp, crab sticks, and white fish filets. The startup believes the key to disrupting the market is speed and resilience, in addition to products that deliver on the taste and texture of conventional seafood. 

“Plant-based seafoods are still uncharted territory for millions of people, and with consumers increasingly seeking alternatives to conventional meat and dairy, I believe the time is right for the next evolution of plant-based seafood products,” Boldly founder Allen Zeldon tells VegNews.

Getty Images

These days, more consumers are becoming aware of the environmental and sustainability issues tied to seafood, including the impact of overfishing and the health concerns associated with conventional seafood’s high mercury and heavy metal levels. 

Bringing vegan seafood to restaurants

Boldly is part of a growing vegan seafood industry and, like others, uses konjac (a root vegetable) as a core ingredient. Boldly is also on a mission to accelerate the proliferation of plant-based proteins in foodservice by creating a positive experience centered around community while addressing the health and environmental concerns of conventional seafood.  

“Seafood dishes are amongst the most popular in foodservice, hence why we have specifically optimized our versatile range of seafood alternatives so chefs can add their own creative spin to it across all cuisines, while reshaping consumer perceptions around taste, texture, appearance, availability and pricing,” Zeldon says.

Boldly

“Boldly Foods is on a mission to drive consumers towards the better choice with no compromise, bringing all the classic seafood tastes to restaurant tables, better than ever,” he adds.

Disrupting the global seafood market

And when it comes to how plant-based seafood will disrupt the global market, Zeldon says there are two key aspects. “As with all emerging disruptive categories, speed and resilience is everything,” he says. “With the plant-based food industry still very nascent relative to the overall food and beverage market, it is also at an exciting tipping point, hence this unique opportunity to fuel foodservice ecosystems with classic seafood alternatives at the ‘growth-stage’ of the plant-based trajectory.”

This can happen by providing a more sustainable product at competitive prices. “With fragmented distribution and increasing cost-of-trade pressures, the global foodservice industry needs access to more competitive and strategic partners if we are to drive radical systems change to address the climate crisis and sustainably meet our needs as a growing population,” he says. 

Boldly

Zeldon is leading Boldly with more than 25 years of experience behind him. He is also co-founder of PlantForm, the private label arm of a plant-based manufacturing operation with global distribution across five continents and more than 1,000 SKUs on the market. 

“With the fishing industry fraught with public health issues and threatening the future of marine biodiversity, it’s clear the future will either be filled with fishless fish or fishless oceans,” Zeldon points out.

Drawing from his experience with PlantForm, Zeldon will be launching Boldly across the US this summer with what he claims is the widest range of plant-based seafood currently on the market.

Innovation in plant-based seafood

The plant-based seafood category is indeed booming, and experts believe the range of options will only continue to grow this year, providing fish-free alternatives for nearly every sea animal that humans have exploited for food. 

According to the first-ever State of the Industry Report of vegan seafood by the Good Food Institute (GFI), $175 million was raised globally by companies in 2021, a 92-percent increase from 2020.

Emerging brands include Austria’s Revo Foods, which has created a whole-cut vegan salmon filet with 3D-printing technology; and Aqua Cultured Foods, which makes seafood alternatives with fungi-derived mycoprotein. There’s also Current Foods’ sushi-grade vegan tuna made from bamboo and potatoes, and ISH’s vegan shrimp made from coconut, konjac, and soy protein, among many others.

Aqua Cultured Foods

GFI suggests that alternative seafood is well-poised to capitalize on the momentum of the broader plant-based industry. And widespread commercialization of alternative seafood is a promising approach to alleviating pressure on both wild fisheries and aquaculture systems while helping to meet global demand for an important source of food. 

“Every year, we see advancements in the alternative protein industry that are opening the door for a global shift to a far more sustainable, secure, and just food system than the one we have today,” the report update notes.

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.

Vegan fast food empire Slutty Vegan will soon open its first drive-thru at its new location currently being built out in Columbus, GA. Set to open later this year, the new drive-thru outpost will offer the same popular menu the brand has become known for, with playful and provocative vegan burgers such as Sloppy Toppy, One Night Stand, and Fussy Hussy, along with sides such as Slutty Fries and Skinny Dippers. 

The new location builds upon a booming business venture that has seven locations through Georgia and beyond, with more being announced—including new outposts coming to Columbus, Harlem, NY, and Washington, DC. 

Madelynne Boykin

Founded by entrepreneur Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan first launched in 2018 as an Instagram-based delivery service out of a shared commercial kitchen in Atlanta, GA. Within weeks, Cole invested $10,000 into her own food truck, and by 2019, she opened the first brick-and-mortar restaurant to a crowd of 1,200 customers.

In less than six years, Cole built a $100 million business with her catchy slogans, signature vegan burgers, and vibrant energy. Last summer, when Slutty Vegan expanded to New York City, the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, hopped on a stationary bike with a superfood smoothie in hand to record a personal welcome message to Slutty Vegan.

“On behalf of 8.8 million New Yorkers, let me be the first to say, ‘Welcome to New York City, the big time.’” Adams said in the welcome video. “Anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat healthy and plant-based. We love our brothers and sisters in Atlanta but it was about time you brought your vegan burgers here to the greatest city in the world.”

Slutty Vegan

Last year, Slutty Vegan secured $25 million in a Series A funding round that it is using to fund the brand’s continued expansion. Some of the funding came directly from Danny Meyer, who is known for scaling his successful fast-food concept Shake Shack. 

The Slutty Vegan empire

When not slinging burgers, Cole is growing her Slutty Vegan empire in other ways. So far, she has opened sister restaurant Bar Vegan in Ponce City Market and launched vegan CBD gummies and other plant-based products.

Last summer, Slutty Vegan partnered with Steve Madden on reimagined versions of the footwear brand’s classic POSSESSION sneakers and BSETTITUP bag styles made with entirely vegan materials and accented with the burger chain’s vibrant color palette. 

Drea Nicole

At Costco in the Southwest and Midwest regions, the debut Vegan Spinach Artichoke flavor of Pinky’s Dips has been flying off shelves with additional flavors in the works. 

The entrepreneur is also constantly looking to innovate the menu at Slutty Vegan. Earlier this week, Cole announced on Instagram that she’s working on a Slutty Vegan breakfast concept. As part of her research and development, Slutty Vegan’s Edgewood location gave out free vegan breakfast sandwiches to gain feedback on the items. 

Pinky Cole gives back

As a social justice activist, Cole also created the Pinky Cole Foundation to help build generational wealth for communities of color, including gifting LLCs to last year’s graduating class at CAU, her alma mater.

Slutty Vegan

Cole’s non-profit organization is always working to help others succeed. Recently, she spearheaded Square 1: The Liife Experience, an initiative to provide life insurance policies to 25,000 Black men by this coming December.

Cole was also recently nominated for an NAACP award for Outstanding Literary Work for her first cookbook, Eat Plants, B*tch. Cole posted a video showing the moment she received the news while riding in a car with her fiancé and team.

“God really has a sense of humor,” Cole captioned the video post. “20 minutes ago, I got nominated for an NAACP Award … If this ain’t bout the wildest roller coaster ride.”

The nomination came shortly after Cole was named in a lawsuit in which a former employee of Bar Vegan alleged that Cole and her partners had withheld tips and other wages—claims that Cole fully denied in a lengthy Instagram post. 

This post was originally published on VegNews.com.