Vegans are always on the lookout for restaurants that offer vegan options. They are always excited when they see vegan options on a menu. But when the entire menu is vegan, they are ecstatic. Knowing they can order any item on the menu and have a delicious vegan meal is always a relief. It feels good not to have to question every item; you can order anything. 

PLNT Burger: Vegan & Earth-Friendly Eats

PLNT Burger is one such restaurant. PLNT, affectionately known as Positivity, Learning, Nourishment, and Togetherness, offers a delicious and fully vegan menu. “We are proud to serve food that celebrates and elevates ALL LIFE ON EARTH. We believe in promoting a lifestyle of love and compassion for all sentient beings.” 

 Founders Seth Goldman and Chef Spike Mendelsohn met in 2017 at George Washington University, where they were both attending a food policy panel. While there, Seth placed a cooler filled with Beyond Burgers and Honest Tea under Spike’s chair and encouraged him to try them out and let him know his opinion. Spike was initially skeptical, but once he prepared the burgers at home, his whole family, including his vegan wife, was hooked. After that, Seth and Spike began collaborating. 

In September 2019, they launched their first collaboration inside a Maryland Whole Foods Market with a 110 square feet (about the area of an apartment bedroom) kiosk to work in. PLNT Burger, a quick service, plant-based, 100% vegan restaurant, featured Beyond Burgers, fries, soft-serve, and more with a fantastic menu developed by Chefs Spike Mendelsohn and Mike Colleti. Their food was so delicious that DCEater recognized them as the #1 vegan restaurant in the area. PLNT Burger quickly spread to numerous Whole Foods locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. After success in 10 different Whole Foods locations, PLNT opened its first brick-and-mortar location. 

Eat The Change

Most people encountered veggie burgers in their early lives and were not pleased with the experience. They have bad memories of mealy, squishy, crumbly patties that tasted nothing like meat. This association makes the ability to convince them to try today’s newer meat alternatives a little trickier. But PLNT makes foods that are so tasty even carnivores can enjoy them. 

PLNT Burger’s slogan, ‘Eat the change you wish to see in the world.’ soon led to a new collaboration, and Eat the Change, a vegan snack company, was born. Seth and Spike visited an organic mushroom farm to source ingredients for PLNT. Here, they discovered that yellow oyster mushrooms were an ideal substitute for a chicken filet and soon added the Crispy Chik N’ Funguy sandwich to PLNT’s menu. After this, they began to explore all the flavor possibilities of yellow oyster mushrooms and various vegetables. They found they could create delicious snacks such as Mushroom Jerky and Cosmic Carrot Chews. “Eat the Change® combines marketplace solutions with education and activism to empower consumers to make dietary choices aligned with their concerns around climate and health.” PLNT encourages everyone to “EAT THE CHANGE” and work together to create a positive systemic change. Eat the Change products can be purchased online at several stores. 

Eat the Change also offers grants from $5,000 to $15,000 to individuals and organizations that educate and inspire whole communities about planet-friendly foods. They plan to award 30-50 grants each year. Over three years, they have awarded over $1.25 million. These scholarships are available to any person or group who serves charitable purposes regarding the foods we eat. Anyone who wishes to apply can visit the Eat the Change website. Grants are awarded based on four core values. Eating with Intention: supporting efforts for education regarding where and how our food is processed, packaged, and distributed, as well as their environmental impact. Fact-Based Science: understanding the connection between diets and climate change. Democratizing Planet Friendly Diets: focusing on expansion and demand in underserved communities. Innovation: supporting new, creative ways of thinking and eating. 

Saving the Earth One Burger at a Time

Both PLNT Burger and its sister company, Eat the Change, hope to affect climate change positively. “People understand that our food production needs to change and what and how we grow has an effect on our planet,” says Chef Spike. PLNT and Eat the Change educate individuals and communities about the changes that need to occur for our planet to be healthy again. 

“At PLNT, we bring people joy and celebrate the beauty of life on our planet in the most delicious and fun way possible.” Both PLNT and Eat the Change promote a loving and compassionate lifestyle that respects all sentient beings on Earth. PLNT sources its ingredients from local producers and only works with individuals and companies that share their vision for a healthy, happy planet. 

Next time you are in an area with an established PLNT Burger restaurant, check them out. They are indeed a gift to vegans everywhere and to our environment. Hopefully, they will keep expanding so we have more locations to visit. Have you eaten at PLNT Burger? Let us know your opinions in the comments.