Vegan and vegetarian restaurants are becoming increasingly commonplace in the United States. Nowadays, there are tens of thousands of veg-friendly eateries in the country and hungry diners choose to visit them for a variety of reasons. In 2020, the
included better health, animal welfare, and concerns about climate change. The environment was also among
. A 2021 survey determined that 40 percent of consumers in the U.S. were choosing to eat meatless products on behalf of environmental benefits. This increasing demand for vegetarian and vegan options has motivated many well-established
, such as Burger King, White Castle, and more, to offer meatless options on their menus.
Which U.S. cities have the most vegetarian and vegan restaurants?
The availability of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the U.S. depends largely on which U.S. state consumers happen to be in. New York was the
city with the highest share of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the U.S. as of April 2021, with nearly 27 percent of all restaurants based in the city offering vegetarian cuisine. Meanwhile, just under ten percent of restaurants in the city of Houston offered vegetarian cuisine. When looking at the
cities with the highest share of vegan-friendly restaurants in the U.S. during that same period, New York was once again at the top of the list with over 14 percent of all restaurants based in the city offering vegan food. The
U.S. diners most likely to choose a restaurant because it has diet specific food on the menu are typically younger. Millennials were the most likely to dine out at restaurants with diet-specific food options as of December 2020, with 18 percent of respondents stating that this was the case.
What is the future of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the U.S.?
Despite the growing popularity of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the U.S., there are comparatively few
people who consider themselves to be vegetarians in the United States. According to a survey carried out between July 2021 and June 2022, approximately seven percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 29 said they were following a vegetarian diet. Meanwhile, the share of vegetarians among respondents aged between 50 and 59 was much lower at two percent. The
perception of veganism and vegetarianism in the U.S. in 2021 was such that 27 percent of the general population considered it more ethical to be vegan. Although it may take more time for plant-based diets to become widely adopted in the United States, other countries, such as India, have had more success. In 2021, the
share of vegans in India was nearly 10 percent of the country’s population.
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