Pretty sure they had a lot of issues with management being abusive as well. I think they had to cancel some reddit meet up because the staff walked out?
Took my vegan wife here for Valentine's or her birthday and it was just...ok. never returned. I miss the days of Karen on Green and it's no Alice and Friends or Handlebar.
I miss Don Bucios in Logan Square I believe they were related to bloom My wife has made a mild effort to replicate their dishes only because they closed
Plant based restaurants just seem too niche to withstand. It’s such a selective market, that if you’re not getting everyone in to your place regularly it’s just not going to work.
I was fully vegetarian for shy of 20 years and it was incredibly difficult to eat out (at least in the 2000-2015 era) and restaurants like Chi Diner and Native Foods were a godsend. It’s gotten a lot better/easier to find veg options/alt options in restaurants now, which I will say has probably lead to a lot of these closures :(
ETA: I was recently at the Moonlighter as per usual and noticed how many alternative plant based options they have. This is, what I’m assuming, is part of the mass exodus of fully-veg places!
This! I feel like most omnivore restaurants now offer multiple veg/vegan options. It used to be the one option was a portobello burger. Now most places at least try to have alts.Â
Outside of Chicago and major cities? Still hard to find veg stuff. Looking at you, state of Wisconsin.Â
Bingo. If restaurants would incorporate normal food in but have an expanded vegan menu, that's more likely to strike the balance needed to keep doors open.
There simply aren't enough people seeking exclusively vegan restaurants on a regular basis.
Yeah, unfortunately the people starting these restaurants are doing it for moral and ethical reasons, and incorporating a meat-lite menu would go contrary to the mission - a mission that’s proving to be an unsustainable business model.
In business people are selling a product or service to meet demand or solve problem. A vegan restaurant has limited demand and caps out pretty quickly, and doesn’t solve a problem that society deems as worth solving.
It would also entice meat-eating people to go to such a vegan-dominate restaurant if there a still a few meat options, and learn to appreciate and love more vegan dishes just by exposure.
I'm a big dude, and historically a big meat eater, but cutting back. In my personal project of learning more vegan dishes to cook or try out, I'm amazed at the world of possibilities and delicious flavors and dishes while still hitting my protein targets.
If otherwise Vegan-dominate restaurants would offer a couple locally sourced meat dishes, they'd entice more people and dining parties into their restaurant that would include people who otherwise might have said no due to no meat options.
Once there is when you can "Wow" them with the vegan/vegetarian dishes to let them come to their own decision to start incorporating those more as their meals.
Hell, keep it on a separate grill (obviously) with a separate grill cook and separate server who brings those dishes out who are comfortable with meat, so no vegan employee has to go against their principles. But don't risk bankrupting a good restaurant simply because the vegan options alone cant generate enough business. Bigger picture, and all that.
I don't even care about vegetarian options but I am not going out of my way to find a restaurant that promotes meat substitutes.
That is to say, if I want a burger I'm going to a burger spot but you might sell me on a really nice mushroom dish if I'm at a place that does vegetarian and vegan options as well.
I think them losing their bib gourmand status also hurt them. It at least suggested that while it was vegan (not very appealing for your average diner) it was a spot that was worth checking out.
True that, and honestly it surprises me how offput people still are by "vegan" on a menu! This could be bias because my whole family is vegetarian though, lol.
Ugh yeah and the margins are always super thin. I mean they also had an implosion within the past year, but TBH because they kept going afterwards, I assumed they were set.
Has anyone been to Soul Veg City (formally Soul Vegetarian), or B'Gabs Comfort Cafe?
No one ever seems to mention restaurants outside of the Northside.
Never eaten at Soul Veg City but have tried their prepackaged meals that can be found at Whole Foods and thought it was good! I’m not vegetarian/vegan, though but my partner really likes them. I also like B’Gabs and actually have been a fan since pre pandemic when they offered what I felt was more options but their plant lovers bowl with chickpea egg is great. If you’re looking for another place Majani in South Shore is good too!
There are all manner of postmortems on these establishments, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the recent glut of vegan restaurants closing is just indicative of the larger trend of restaurant closures in the city and elsewhere, but vegan restaurants actually have consistent niche audiences, facebook groups etc that would bring it to our attention whereas the other dozen local bar and grill, malaysian restaurant, or small chain closures don't really get the same amount of social media attention.
Ultimately, if we want to be in a city with a variety of options that aren't say, Small Chevals or Starbucks, we need to hope that local government and property developers start understanding that the rent is too damn high and renters and buyers actually do enjoy vibrant neighborhoods where restaurants like this and others can survive.
Service and value had gone downhill recently unfortunately
Pretty sure they had a lot of issues with management being abusive as well. I think they had to cancel some reddit meet up because the staff walked out?
Took my vegan wife here for Valentine's or her birthday and it was just...ok. never returned. I miss the days of Karen on Green and it's no Alice and Friends or Handlebar.
A moment of silence please for Green Zebra.
When my college aged daughter was vegetarian, that restaurant showed her just how good it could be.
Sigh, one of the first veg restaurants in Chicago I went to
mana food bar was mine but green zebra second
Oh no!! As a gf person that likes to lean veg, this is heartbreaking 💔 they have so many options for someone like me
Sorry to hear. This place has some of the best vegan food I’ve had.
Big loss for the plant-based/vegetarian community. They truly had some of the most innovative vegan dishes I’ve ever had.
I miss Don Bucios in Logan Square I believe they were related to bloom My wife has made a mild effort to replicate their dishes only because they closed
They had an amazing torta...
Same, I loved their loteria night!
Plant based restaurants just seem too niche to withstand. It’s such a selective market, that if you’re not getting everyone in to your place regularly it’s just not going to work.
Not surprised at all.
It’s sad but seems to be the reality.
I was fully vegetarian for shy of 20 years and it was incredibly difficult to eat out (at least in the 2000-2015 era) and restaurants like Chi Diner and Native Foods were a godsend. It’s gotten a lot better/easier to find veg options/alt options in restaurants now, which I will say has probably lead to a lot of these closures :(
ETA: I was recently at the Moonlighter as per usual and noticed how many alternative plant based options they have. This is, what I’m assuming, is part of the mass exodus of fully-veg places!
This! I feel like most omnivore restaurants now offer multiple veg/vegan options. It used to be the one option was a portobello burger. Now most places at least try to have alts.Â
Outside of Chicago and major cities? Still hard to find veg stuff. Looking at you, state of Wisconsin.Â
If it doesn’t at least have cheese is it even food? -WI
Did you ever go to Soul Vegetarian?
Depends where you are, have to admit I love being spoiled for choice when I visit California, lol.
That said, I've been to a bunch of cities with at least decent scenes, and it does surprise me that it seems to be such a small market here.
Bingo. If restaurants would incorporate normal food in but have an expanded vegan menu, that's more likely to strike the balance needed to keep doors open.
There simply aren't enough people seeking exclusively vegan restaurants on a regular basis.
Yeah, unfortunately the people starting these restaurants are doing it for moral and ethical reasons, and incorporating a meat-lite menu would go contrary to the mission - a mission that’s proving to be an unsustainable business model.
In business people are selling a product or service to meet demand or solve problem. A vegan restaurant has limited demand and caps out pretty quickly, and doesn’t solve a problem that society deems as worth solving.
It would also entice meat-eating people to go to such a vegan-dominate restaurant if there a still a few meat options, and learn to appreciate and love more vegan dishes just by exposure.
I'm a big dude, and historically a big meat eater, but cutting back. In my personal project of learning more vegan dishes to cook or try out, I'm amazed at the world of possibilities and delicious flavors and dishes while still hitting my protein targets.
If otherwise Vegan-dominate restaurants would offer a couple locally sourced meat dishes, they'd entice more people and dining parties into their restaurant that would include people who otherwise might have said no due to no meat options.
Once there is when you can "Wow" them with the vegan/vegetarian dishes to let them come to their own decision to start incorporating those more as their meals.
Hell, keep it on a separate grill (obviously) with a separate grill cook and separate server who brings those dishes out who are comfortable with meat, so no vegan employee has to go against their principles. But don't risk bankrupting a good restaurant simply because the vegan options alone cant generate enough business. Bigger picture, and all that.
I don't even care about vegetarian options but I am not going out of my way to find a restaurant that promotes meat substitutes.
That is to say, if I want a burger I'm going to a burger spot but you might sell me on a really nice mushroom dish if I'm at a place that does vegetarian and vegan options as well.
Yikes! They own Amaru around the corner too.
This is a huge loss. Bloom is such a great spot. As a consummate meat eater, I loved it.
Holy shit I was not expecting this one. I thought they were doing pretty well!
Chicago didn't have an impressive vegan scene to begin with so this is a huge bummer tbh.
I think them losing their bib gourmand status also hurt them. It at least suggested that while it was vegan (not very appealing for your average diner) it was a spot that was worth checking out.
True that, and honestly it surprises me how offput people still are by "vegan" on a menu! This could be bias because my whole family is vegetarian though, lol.
[deleted]
Ugh yeah and the margins are always super thin. I mean they also had an implosion within the past year, but TBH because they kept going afterwards, I assumed they were set.
Has anyone been to Soul Veg City (formally Soul Vegetarian), or B'Gabs Comfort Cafe? No one ever seems to mention restaurants outside of the Northside.
Never eaten at Soul Veg City but have tried their prepackaged meals that can be found at Whole Foods and thought it was good! I’m not vegetarian/vegan, though but my partner really likes them. I also like B’Gabs and actually have been a fan since pre pandemic when they offered what I felt was more options but their plant lovers bowl with chickpea egg is great. If you’re looking for another place Majani in South Shore is good too!
This was just recommended to me so I'll have to go asap.
I’m concerned this general trend is a bellwether for the economy at large.
There are all manner of postmortems on these establishments, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the recent glut of vegan restaurants closing is just indicative of the larger trend of restaurant closures in the city and elsewhere, but vegan restaurants actually have consistent niche audiences, facebook groups etc that would bring it to our attention whereas the other dozen local bar and grill, malaysian restaurant, or small chain closures don't really get the same amount of social media attention.
Ultimately, if we want to be in a city with a variety of options that aren't say, Small Chevals or Starbucks, we need to hope that local government and property developers start understanding that the rent is too damn high and renters and buyers actually do enjoy vibrant neighborhoods where restaurants like this and others can survive.
Tots and pears
It’s implying they are moving to another location - not closing permanently.
The caption stated they’re dreaming up a new idea with the hopes of building something new. Nothing concrete as of yet!