Veggie Grill

A West Coast revolution

Back in 2006, veganism was far less common as a dietary choice. However, the few people who had discovered its pleasures were passionate about sharing their knowledge with others. Three individuals who were early proponents of a plant-based diet are the founders of Veggie Grill: Kevin Boylan, T. K. Pillan and Ray White. Both Boylan and Pillan had gone vegan years before and came up with the concept as a way of spreading the positive benefits they had gained from following the diet to others. 

Building a menu

Despite being experienced businessmen, neither of them knew much about designing a menu, so they enlisted the help of chef Ray White. He had been working in meat-free cooking for years, and was an expert in developing plant-based dishes. In particular, he had developed a set of techniques for creating vegan food with meaty textures. With him on board, the team was complete, and the first Veggie Grill restaurant was opened in Irvine, California, in 2006. 

A new concept

In a largely meat-dominated market, Veggie Grill caused a real stir, and its high-quality, fast-casual vegan food quickly became well-liked among the local community. Its selection of vegan burgers, fries and shakes presented customers with a different option that was healthier than other burgers, offering a whole new flavour profile for restaurant-goers to enjoy.

A growing vegan community

Over the next decade, Veggie Grill went from strength to strength, opening new locations on the West Coast of the United States and becoming well-known as a great go-to for both vegans and non-vegans looking for a quick, healthy meal. In 2016, they teamed up with Beyond Meat to provide their customers with a new kind of meat-free burger, and their partnerships with other vegan brands, such as plant-based cheese producers Follow Your Heart, signified that they were being accepted into the wider vegan community. 

Countrywide expansion

This success eventually saw the brand move northwards into Oregon and Washington, and then eastwards into Illinois. Then, with film director Kevin Smith calling for a Veggie Grill to be opened in Boston, Pillan and Boylan decided to expand to the East Coast. They started off in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2019, and soon set up another restaurant in the vibrant Flatiron District of New York City.

Fresh ideas

When they started Veggie Grill, its founding trio all had a desire to change food culture for the better by making healthier food more sustainably. They hoped to bring people together around this joyous notion, and by the early 2020s, they were doing this in dozens of locations all over the country. In a bid to deliver these benefits to even more people, they began developing new concepts. The first was Mas Veggies – a vegan taco shop created in 2021 to produce flavoursome Mexican-inspired meals like burritos and nachos. Stand-Up Burgers followed later in the year with a focus on delivering similar options to classic American burger chains but with a plant-based twist. Then, in 2022, they opened Vegan Bowls for All as a delivery only option of six perfectly balanced bowls of vegan goodies, such as the Cali Grains Bowl and the Korean Kimchi Bowl, each packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients. 

A stunning plant-based menu

In 2022, the brand opened a second location in New York City, this time with all four of their vegan concepts combined under one roof. From here, their fantastic selection of plant-based food can be seen in all its glory. The menu includes a range of year-round favourites as well as seasonal options like the succulent Turk’Y Cranwich and the warming Harvest Moon Stew. There are hearty burgers such as the Pesto Chick’n Parm Sandwich and the Santa Fe Chick’n Sandwich, and light wraps, including the Caesar Crunch and Buffalo Blitz alongside tasty sides and indulgent desserts. There are also plates for sharing, with the rich Truffle Mac + Cheese and Buffalo Tenders both excellent options. All of this can be washed down with one of their signature drinks, such as the Ginger Hibiscus Fresca or the Pomegranate Green Tea, while everything is served by friendly staff in a welcoming, fast-casual setting.

An award-winning brand

As well as attracting celebrity fans such as vegan actress Madelaine Petsch, Veggie Grill has earned a number of awards and accolades. One of the earliest of these was the 2012 award for Best American Cuisine Restaurant, voted by the readers of the Los Angeles Times. Since then, it has appeared on Forbes’ list of 25 Most Innovative Consumer Brands and won VegNews Magazine’s award for Favorite Vegan Chain three years running between 2016 and 2018.

Revolutionising traditional comfort food

Since first being established in a small corner of California, Veggie Grill has gone on to become the largest vegan restaurant company in the United States. Despite being a 100% vegan eatery, according to Pillan, most of its customers aren’t even vegetarian – a testament to the innovation that has gone into creating its menu and the high-quality flavours of its food. In this way, the founders of Veggie Grill have managed to empower plant-based eating around the country, thus contributing to a better future for both people and planet.