Lewis Hamilton’s Neat Burger expands to the US with fast food and vegan meats

This fall, vegan burger chain Neat Burger will open its first US location in Manhattan, New York. Founded in 2019 with the help of world champion racing driver Lewis Hamilton, the shop serves typical vegan fast food dishes including plant-based cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, hot dogs, tater tots, ice cream and milkshakes, as well as kids. meal. The opening will take place after a pop-up in midtown Manhattan this month that will introduce New Yorkers to the UK-based Neat Food Co (NEAT) brand, which encompasses both the burger concept and a retail brand that will also expand to the United States.

Neat burger

NEAT begins its expansion in the United States with key recruits who will help the vegan burger chain and the plant-based meat business to establish a foothold in the United States. At the helm of this expansion is Vincent Herbert, the former CEO of Le Pain Quotidien, who joins the brand as general manager of Neat Burger USA. Additionally, Jeffrey S. Fried (former president of Sweetgreen) and Henrik Fjordbak (former COO at Joe & The Juice) join the brand’s advisory board to propel it forward in fulfilling its mission to save the earth.

“We’re on a mission to fundamentally change the way the world consumes protein and we’re thrilled to announce these new appointments whose expertise will make a real impact,” said Zack Bishti, co-founder and CEO of Neat Burger, in a press release. “With Jeff and Henrik’s success in building industry-leading brands and Vincent’s prowess in global expansion, we have a powerful team ready for explosive entry into new markets; to change consumer behavior and be a force for good.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton’s Vegan Activism

Hamilton went vegan in 2017 and uses his immense fame to promote animal rights and social justice issues, often taking to social media to urge fans to go vegan. Hamilton also puts his money where he is by investing in vegan businesses, including The Not Company, a Chilean vegan startup that raised $235 million in funding last year with the help of Hamilton and the artist. musical Questlove.

In 2019, Hamilton’s investment in NEAT – created in collaboration with hotel group The Cream Group and Beyond Meat investor Tommaso Chiabara – provided the company with key funding to get it off the ground. Neat Burger opened its flagship location in central London in 2019 before expanding to second and third locations in Camden and Soho, respectively. The brand has grown rapidly and last year, after securing an additional $7 million in a funding round led by SoftBank’s Rajeev Misra, announced massive expansion plans that bring more locations to its domestic market, including through 20 “ghost” kitchens, and taking it globally, starting with the United States.

Neat burger

By 2030, NEAT plans to expand to 1,000 company-owned, franchised and dark kitchens. It also strives to bring next-level, plant-based meat alternatives made with wholesome ingredients, such as its grain blend of quinoa, chickpeas and mung beans, to the retail industry.

“By 2040, we see a world where alternative proteins have completely replaced animal proteins,” Chiabra said in a statement. “NEAT is leading the charge in developing these alternatives that not only satisfy the needs of conscious consumers, but also deliver flavor. We’re here to prove that the simplest choice can also be the best choice for the planet.

Vegan burgers in the USA

Neat Burger’s expansion in the United States comes at a time when local vegan fast food chains are beginning their own expansions to meet a growing demand for plant-based foods – a market that a recent report based on the intelligence by Tastewise estimated at $74 billion. by 2027.

Vegan chain PLNT Burger, owned by celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn of Excellent chef fame—opened its first New York City location in the Union Square neighborhood earlier this year and expanded to Boston this week. Canada’s Odd Burger, the first publicly traded vegan fast food chain, is also considering a New York location with plans to operate 50 locations across North America by 2029.

Plant-powered fast food

On the West Coast, Plant Power Fast Food San Diego is expanding along the coast with new locations in Los Angeles, Fountain Valley and Sacramento, as well as its first out-of-state location in Las Vegas, NV. Oregon’s organic vegan fast food pioneer, Next Level Burger, is also expanding into multiple states, with an opening in Denver, CO slated for this summer.

And traditional fast food giants aren’t sitting idly by, with McDonald’s working with Beyond Meat to expand plant-based options globally through its McPlant platform; Burger King is testing pop-up meatless places in Europe; and KFC is launching vegan chicken in several countries.

For more on vegan fast food, read:
Burger King is the first major fast food chain to serve impossible vegan nuggets
Fatburger CEO talks about the future of vegan fast food
Vegan fast food chains are spreading across the country. Can McDonald’s keep up?