---
title: "WaBa Grill Marks One-Year Anniversary Of Plantspired™ Steak"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/7c59998f-9342-4223-b4bb-5af8fac705f2
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20221116_waba_grill_marks_oneyear_anniversary_of_plantspired_steak.html
category: "Casual dining"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Casual dining"
published: 2022-11-16T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T17:54:02.447Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# WaBa Grill Marks One-Year Anniversary Of Plantspired™ Steak

**TL;DR:** WaBa Grill marks the one-year anniversary of its plant-based steak alternative, Plantspired Steak, which has been a popular choice amongst customers since its launch in August 2021. The product has dominated the brand's plant-based sales, with various menu items featuring the Plantspired Steak being the most popular.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2022-11-16. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20221116_waba_grill_marks_oneyear_anniversary_of_plantspired_steak.html).*

## Story

The Plantspired™ Steak, which launched in August 2021 in collaboration with the nation’s #1 tofu brand, Nasoya® Foods USA, is a Korean-inspired alternative to steak that has been a popular choice amongst WaBa Grill customers since its launch. WaBa’s Plantspired™ Steak joins organic tofu to round out the brand’s meatless protein offerings that accommodate a growing number of consumers seeking plant-based options.

During the initial research and development phase, WaBa Grill found that while several plant-based beef options were available, the market was largely saturated with plant-based ground beef or patties, which were not comparable to WaBa’s beloved sliced ribeye. The distinguishable characteristic of the Plantspired Steak is that it truly resembles slices of Korean-inspired Bulgogi steak, providing the appearance, taste, and mouthfeel of WaBa Grill’s steak. Marinating the plant-based steak in WaBa Grill's proprietary-recipe marinade further positions the product as a crave-able savory menu item.

“As a team, we are incredibly proud of our Plantspired™ Steak. The response we’ve gotten from customers validates that our plant-based protein option is on par with the quality protein options, including ribeye steak and wild-caught salmon, that guests have come to expect from WaBa Grill,” said Vivian Mendoza, WaBa Grill’s Director of Marketing. “The feedback we’ve received from customers truly speaks for itself, with guests sharing that they prefer the Plantspired™ Steak to traditional beef.

Some guests even return to the front counter to double check that they weren’t accidentally given our ribeye steak. It’s been amazing to see more and more people, especially those opting for more meatless variety and don’t typically follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, choosing plant-based options. We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response.”

Across the board, WaBa Grill has seen its Plantspired™ Steak dominate the brand’s plant-based sales, with the Plantspired™ Steak Veggie Bowl, Plantspired™ Steak Bowl, Plantspired™ Steak Plate, and Signature House Salad with Plantspired™ Steak proving to be the most popular. Since the introduction of Plantspired™ Steak, WaBa Grill truly has been able to accommodate all diets from vegan to Keto to Paleo, with the brand’s famous rice bowls, plates, and salads made with fresh vegetables, healthy grains, and proteins including fresh, never frozen chicken, marinated ribeye steak, wild-caught salmon, jumbo shrimp, plant-based steak, and organic tofu, all prepared to order on an open-fire grill and customized with a variety of flavorful sauces including the fan favorite WaBa Sauce.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- QSR (sector)
- product launch (topic)
- menu item (topic)
- brand anniversary (topic)
- WaBa Grill (company)
- plant-based option (topic)
- Vivian Mendoza (person)
- Nasoya Foods USA (company)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20221116_waba_grill_marks_oneyear_anniversary_of_plantspired_steak.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/7c59998f-9342-4223-b4bb-5af8fac705f2).