--- title: "How Veggie Grill Is Reimaging American Comfort Food to Make Plant-Based Diets Accessible for Anyone and Everyone" url: https://burnaze.com/article/280182e8-f20f-4afa-9df7-036fd99a03f2 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/how-veggie-grill-is-reimaging-american-comfort-food-to-make-plant-based-diets-accessible-for-anyone-and-everyone-2721232 category: "Casual dining" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Casual dining" published: 2023-02-22T15:10:44.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:09:25.683Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/41b3cc35b4a35fa2a2f6e33c03b95c735422.jpg --- # How Veggie Grill Is Reimaging American Comfort Food to Make Plant-Based Diets Accessible for Anyone and Everyone **TL;DR:** Veggie Grill, the largest plant-based QSR brand, is expanding across the U.S. with a goal of opening 10 new locations in 2023. The brand is well-positioned to satisfy the growing demand for plant-based foods, which is expected to reach $162 billion by 2030. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2023-02-22. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/how-veggie-grill-is-reimaging-american-comfort-food-to-make-plant-based-diets-accessible-for-anyone-and-everyone-2721232).* ## Key facts - Veggie Grill is the largest plant-based QSR brand - Plant-based foods market to grow to $162 billion by 2030 - Veggie Grill has 35 units and plans to open 10 new locations in 2023 ## Story Plant-based foods are expected to grow from a $29.4 billion market in 2020 to more than $162 billion in 2030, and Veggie Grill is well-positioned to satisfy that demand as the largest plant-based QSR brand in the space. The 35-unit restaurant chain was started in Irvine, California, in 2006 and has since empowered millions of customers to not only try vegan food, but to crave it. With a goal of opening 10 new locations in 2023, Veggie Grill is rapidly expanding across the U.S., including in key states like California, Texas and New York, to share the passion of plant-based eating with more and more guests who crave a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. “Our primary mission is to bring the plant-based movement to the masses in a way that is friendly, familiar and accessible,” said John Billingsley, Chief Development Officer. “This food is good for you, good for animals and good for the planet. We give guests a chance to help the climate, while also helping themselves. The world is moving in this direction and we have a huge platform as the largest QSR player in the space.” ## Founder background After bonding over the tremendous health benefits of a plant-based diet and learning more about the inhumane and unsustainable factory farming methods used to produce meat and dairy products, investors T.K. Pillan and Kevin Boylan decided to create a veggie-centric restaurant that was fun, friendly and convenient for a general audience. With no previous restaurant experience, the duo teamed up with Ray White, a culinary expert with in-depth experience creating delicious and satisfying plant-based food, to mastermind the innovative menu. Thus, Veggie Grill was born. “Although I was the son of Indian immigrants who were devout vegetarians, I actually grew up eating meat because my parents wanted me to assimilate into American culture,” said Pillan. “But after doing my own research as an adult, I learned about the vast number of benefits of a plant-based diet and decided to try it myself. Within a few months, I lost 20lbs, my cholesterol dropped from over 200 to under 140 and I had way more energy. I also started to learn about the inhumane practices of factory farms and how destructive the meat and dairy industry is to the environment. All of that fueled my passion to create a restaurant concept that would make plant-based foods healthy, convenient and delicious.” ## Health benefits Not only can plant-based diets lower the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer and other chronic diseases, but they can also positively impact the environment. According to a study by the Good Food Institute, plant-based meat both emits 30% to 90% less greenhouse gas and causes 51% to 91% less aquatic nutrient pollution than conventional meat. “We can't continue as a global society how we've been operating, and Veggie Grill is well-positioned for the future of how we manufacture and consume our food,” said Billingsley. “We've spent the past 10 years perfecting a menu that makes sense for our guests and our owner-operators. Now, we have a national platform to provide these in-demand products to people all over the country.” ## Menu options The Veggie Grill menu was designed to give American consumers all of the benefits of a plant-based diet, without sacrificing any of the delicious options they know and love. The menu includes a wide array of convenient veggie-centric options — soups, entree salads, superfood bowls, hot sandwiches, burgers, desserts, chicken wings and wraps — all made using 100% vegan, plant-based products. The menu is completely free of any meat, dairy, eggs, cholesterol, animal fat or trans fat. “Our primary customer isn’t even vegan or vegetarian — they are folks who have adopted a more plant-based lifestyle,” said Billingsley. “They tend to be educated, concerned about the environment and concerned about what they consume. That's our bread and butter. If you want to have an indulgent, burger and shake experience, while also keeping it plant-based, we have a great offering. Or if you are more interested in a high protein, better-for-you salad or bowl, we can provide that to you, as well. Our food is familiar and is as good as anything you can find in the fast casual space.” Veggie Grill uses made-from-scratch culinary inspirations and the latest and greatest in plant proteins to create its uniquely compelling menu. For example, the Spicy Crab Cake Sandwich includes a crispy Hungry Planet™ crab cake, house-made coleslaw, sliced tomato and Cajun devil sauce on a toasted brioche bun. The Japanese Katsu Sliders feature two crispy fried Impossible™ mini burgers, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and sesame aioli served on steamed bao buns. This high-quality, plant-based menu has been winning over the hearts of consumers — both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike — for over 15 years. Veggie Grill has received VegNews Magazine winner for Favorite Vegan Chain in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and was selected as one of Fast Company's 3 Midsize Brands That Matter in 2022. ## Innovation strategy Veggie Grill has also continued to innovate in order to maintain its position as a plant-based pioneer. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the brand team decided to launch several virtual brands, available exclusively online and through third-party delivery platforms. Más Veggies Vegan Taqueria is a Mexican-themed vegetarian restaurant concept with a menu that features burritos, taco, bowls and nachos. Vegan Bowls for All is a superfood, plant-powered concept that offers better bowls and salads, featuring six different 100% plant-based proteins and zero cholesterol. With this diverse offering, Veggie Grill locations can feature three distinct plant-based menus under one roof, utilizing one kitchen and staff to leverage four concepts across third-party delivery platforms. A newly opened Veggie Grill in New York City, for example, serves fare from all three sister brands. Today, Veggie Grill is ready to further establish itself as the single biggest player in the plant-based food space and continue to change the everyday lives of consumers across the country. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - texas (location) - new york (location) - California (location) - menu options (topic) - qsr brand (topic) - Fast Company (company) - Veggie Grill (company) - innovation strategy (topic) - plant-based diets (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/how-veggie-grill-is-reimaging-american-comfort-food-to-make-plant-based-diets-accessible-for-anyone-and-everyone-2721232). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/280182e8-f20f-4afa-9df7-036fd99a03f2).