Good News for the Windy City! Veggie Grill is Expanding to Chicago

Alright Chi Town, you ready for some yummy vegan goodness? Get ready because vegan chain Veggie Grill is coming your way! That’s right, Veggie Grill is expanding to Chicago and will open their first location outside of the West Coast in the Lakeview/Lincoln Park neighborhood this Fall as part of its plans to expand nationwide.

The West Coast-based, all-vegan fast casual restaurant chain has been serving delicious, healthier plant-based versions of fast food favorites for the past decade. In April of 2016, Greg Dollarhyde, Veggie Grill’s California-based chain’s “Chief Energizing Officer” disclosed that the company was planning a nation-wide expansion. And in October of 2016, the news broke that the fast-casual chain received $22 million infusion capital from its investors to help the company double in size – starting with the Midwest and East Coast. Veggie Grill has 28 locations in California, Washington, and Oregon and looks like Chicago will be first to enjoy the nationwide expansion!

Considering 70-80 percent of Veggie Grill’s clientele are not even vegan, let alone vegetarian, Veggie Grill appeals to more than a just niche market. 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.

There are a lot of brand new companies jumping on the plant-based wagon, but T.K. Pillan, co-founder of Veggie Grill, the largest all vegan restaurant chain in the United States, saw this trend long before others did. In a recent episode of #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias, T.K. shares the inspiring back-story of how he co-founded Veggie Grill despite having never worked in the food space and provides key tips on what it takes to be a plant-centric food entrepreneur. Check out the episode here!

We can’t wait until Veggie Grill finally makes its East Coast debut!

Image source: Veggie Grill