Reader: Every Restaurant Should Be Vegan

When Meta Burger announced its impending closure last weekend, fans of its vegan fare flooded the two remaining locations…so many that the kitchens ran out of food and the eateries had to close earlier than planned, on November 29.

Michael Reeves, who founded Meta Burger with Matthew Coates, agrees that a plant-based restaurant scene is “on brand” for metro Denver and especially Boulder, where one of the last Meta Burgers was located, but notes that the business is tough. “Sales are down for restaurants across Denver, especially niche places like vegan fast-casual,” he says. “We’re the first domino.” He’s worried about the survival of the remaining vegan restaurants in the Denver area, and encourages diners to support eateries like Somebody People and Vegan Van.

In the meantime, the end of Meta Burger inspired plenty of discussion of veganism and restaurants in general on the Westword Facebook page. Says Joe:

The West wasn’t won on a salad. Eat more beef!

Adds Pat: 

The market changes and business models have to adapt or perish. Or as the late Clara Peller used to say: “Where’s the beef?”

Notes Sam:

That leaves room for me to open my plant-based steakhouse.

Responds Katie:

There are several vegan businesses in the Denver metro area that have been around for at least ten to twenty years. Just because one doesn’t make it doesn’t mean the rest won’t.

Says Marc:

It’s too bad. I’m not vegan, but thought their burgers were pretty great.

Replies Carey:

Too many shortcuts with the food. At one point it was the best vegan burger in town. Fortunately, Denver still has quite a few options. Sad to see them go in any event.

And then there’s this from Matthew Brent Sikora:

Great article about the closing of the Metaburger restaurant. Although Denver has not been nice to vegan restaurants, I hope you find an opportunity to declare universal truth of morality in another article in the future.

What I mean by this is that many people associate veganism as a health or environmental activity, rather than a value that a large majority of people hold onto, and that is to be against unnecessary violence. I do have hope that one day in the future there will be a vegan world, and it will come when the words that we read, hear and say align with animal rights.

Honestly, there shouldn’t be “vegan restaurants” because every restaurant should be vegan. Every restaurant should be inherently non-violent to sentient beings that value their lives. Non-vegan restaurants should be seen like black market places where bad people go to do bad things.

How do we construct such a world? What words do we use to push that narrative and teach the majority of people to engage in behavior that aligns with their already established beliefs?

Did you ever eat at Meta Burger? Any other vegan restaurants in the metro area? And what do you think about veganism in general?