Veggie Grill
American fast-casual fully plant-based restaurant chain, founded in 2006 in Irvine, California, one of the first all-vegan chains to scale to multiple locations.
Veggie Grill is an American fully plant-based fast-casual restaurant chain, founded in 2006 in Irvine, California, by Kevin Boylan and T. K. Pillan. The menu centers on plant-based burgers, chicken sandwiches, bowls, salads, and shakes — served in a counter-order format modeled on mainstream U.S. fast- casual chains.
Why it matters
Veggie Grill is one of the earliest U.S. restaurant groups to scale an entirely plant-based concept across multiple states, demonstrating that a fast-casual chain without animal products could sustain rent, staff, and unit economics in conventional retail locations rather than relying on a dedicated vegan neighborhood.
Menu character
Signature items include the VG Beyond Burger, Crispy Chickin’ Sandwich, Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’, Buffalo Wings, All Hail Kale salad, and dessert mini- sundaes. The entire menu is vegan.
Expansion
The chain has operated more than 30 locations across California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, with contractions and expansions through the 2020s. Veggie Grill also launched the spinoff concepts Más Veggies Taqueria and Stand-Up Burgers as secondary plant-based brands.