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Happy dance! California-based Amy’s Drive Thru, the first organic and vegetarian fast food restaurant in America, with tons of vegan options, is doing SO WELL that they are looking into expanding across the country and becoming a chain!

Right now, Amy’s Drive Thru’s flagship store is located in Rohnert Park, California, with a second location currently being planned in Northern California in an abandoned Denny’s. The ultimate goal is to eventually open up locations across the country, according to Amy’s Director of Operations, Paul Schiefer. Yes, please!

Amy’s menu uses all local ingredients to bring classic meat-free American fast food to the masses, without ever having to get out of your car. Win!

Menu items are often sourced from employee’s family recipe books and given a thumbs up if a handful of Amy’s staff agrees that it tastes good. 

 

The menu boasts organic pizza with vegan cheese available, non-dairy milkshakes, fresh salads, as well as mouth-watering vegan cheeseburgers, with a single-patty cheeseburger just $3.99, just a dollar more than McDonald’s.

In the past, vegan options at fast food and grab-and-go spots were few and far between. But these days, consumers are moving away from meat and dairy while also seeking out less processed foods. This new shift not only caters to vegans, it also provides healthy options for those who want to reduce their consumption of animal products, whether it be for health, environmental, or animal welfare reasons.

Recent studies have shown that around one-third of Americans are choosing to leave meat off their plates more frequently and a 2015 survey by market analyst Mintel found that 61 percent of consumers say they enjoy menu items that heavily feature vegetables. We can’t wait for Amy’s Drive Thru to come to the East Coast!

To learn more about rising trends in the plant-based food space, check out One Green Planet’s Future of Food.

All image source: Amy’s Drive Thru/Instagram