The Vegan Uprising

[Jack Monzon]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... -own-cows/

‘Betrayed': Vegans revolt against owners of famous L.A. vegan restaurants after meat eating outed
Since 2004, Terces and Matthew Engelhart have built a devoted following around the idea of gratitude. Their commercial success, at least, is clear: Their chain of “organic, plant-based” restaurants in California has attracted the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen and Gwyneth Paltrow. Read More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... -own-cows/

[katgirl55]

I believe they were in trouble some years back for encouraging their staff to attend Landmark Seminars as part of their job requirements. It is unfortunate that vegans would backlash against these folks yet jump for joy when Chipotle offers tofu sofritas served in a non-vegan establishment along size animal products. So they are happy when a mainstream company comes partway over to accommodate them, but mad as heck when a plant-based company goes partway over the other side to accommodate non-vegans.

I understand the disappointment, but not the vitriol.

[hazelrah]

I understand the disappointment, but not the vitriol.

Yeah, I go to Gracias Madre for the great food. If I found out they were sneaking animal proteins into it without telling anybody, that would get my ire up, but otherwise, I think most people who do not eat meat are better off with it being here than without it. I do wish they'd stop using oil, though. And they have a tendency to try to position their farm like snakeoil. Oil free Gorditas sound great to me, but I can't see that coming anytime in the foreseeable future.

Mark.

[WyldMoonWoman]

I won't boycott Café Gratitude in Santa Cruz. I can't. It's the best restaurant ever. I am....grateful (my favorite dish...a gratitude bowl with greens and grains) that there's a vegan restaurant with super tasty foods within striking distance

[healthyvegan]

we are torn on ever returning to their restaurants ourselves. great food, horrible owners... in LA there are enough vegan restaurants owned by vegans to patronize 1st, but they spent 3.5 million $ making Gracias Madre the hippest restaurant in LA... They have never been apart of the vegan community, only smug outsiders monopolizing off the trend. Real vegan restaurants participate in vegan events, donate funds to vegan organizations, hold fund raisers. Even though there is little to eat healthy at Veggie Grill, they are so supportive of the vegan community I don't mind the meager oil-free offerings.

[dailycarbs]

I don't know these people or their restaurant but I had seen the artcicle independent of this thread and it smacks of hypocrisy and justifications to eat meat. The idea that we have to eat animals to save the planet is pretty ridiculous.

It is unfortunate that vegans would backlash against these folks yet jump for joy when Chipotle offers tofu sofritas served in a non-vegan establishment along size animal products. So they are happy when a mainstream company comes partway over to accommodate them, but mad as heck when a plant-based company goes partway over the other side to accommodate non-vegans.

I understand the disappointment, but not the vitriol.

The problem here is betrayal and hypocrisy. Chipotle is a mainstream chain. Any step they take towards vegan or healthier options is to be applauded because that's a step in the right direction. Vegan restauranteurs discovered with a freezer full of beef is going in the opposite direction. I'm sure that many of their patrons and fans felt quite betrayed and played for suckers.

[arugula]

very glad to have never supported them. i've known a few hippie-dippie sing kumbaya types who turned out to be genuine psychopaths so i am not surprised. i guess it's hard for a person who has true ethics to make a profit in business. businesses need to be competitive and when one makes the choice to do the right thing vs. the profitable thing it's probably easier on the non-vegans in general to choose profits.

not much of a chipotle fan, either. even their vegan options are overloaded with sodium, and i don't see the point of celebrating a place that makes most of their profits off their flesh items.

[petero]

With so few options, what are people going to do, stop going there? I go to Walmart. It's best not to have any expectations from a business except profit making. Not that this shouldn't be exposed or ridiculed, I guess it teaches a valuable lesson.

[graciezoe]

we are torn on ever returning to their restaurants ourselves. great food, horrible owners... in LA there are enough vegan restaurants owned by vegans to patronize 1st, but they spent 3.5 million $ making Gracias Madre the hippest restaurant in LA... They have never been apart of the vegan community, only smug outsiders monopolizing off the trend. Real vegan restaurants participate in vegan events, donate funds to vegan organizations, hold fund raisers. Even though there is little to eat healthy at Veggie Grill, they are so supportive of the vegan community I don't mind the meager oil-free offerings.

Totally agree with this!!!