The Butcher’s Daughter, Hart House, UCLA Students, and More Celebrate Veganuary in Los Angeles

Veganuary, the global movement inspiring people to embrace a vegan lifestyle, is gaining momentum in Los Angeles this year. The city’s restaurants are stepping up with enticing plant-based specials throughout January, and the Animal Welfare Alliance at UCLA is spearheading a week-long celebration to promote Veganuary on campus.

Plant-Powered Los Angeles

Last year, Los Angeles ranked in the top 5 US cities for Veganuary sign-ups. This surge in interest is reflected in the 1.1 billion views of #Veganuary on TikTok, signaling a growing curiosity toward plant-based living. A recent YouGov study revealed that 71% of all US adults aspire to consume more vegetables in 2024. Veganuary, in collaboration with restaurants, brands, and universities, is actively working to meet this demand with innovative plant-based dishes.

UCLA’s Vegan Revolution

UCLA students are at the forefront of the plant-based movement, forming the Animal Welfare Alliance to advocate for sustainable, healthy, and socially just plant-forward lifestyles. In support of Veganuary, the Animal Welfare Alliance has launched “Plant-Powered Revolution,” a dynamic week of events aiming to inspire the entire UCLA community. Highlights include the VegFest, featuring local businesses, food trucks, workshops, and guest speaker John Lewis (@badassvegan).

At UCLA, students signing up for the Veganuary pledge receive valuable resources, including tips for plant-based dining on and off-campus, celebrity cookbooks, nutritional advice, and exclusive deals. The Animal Welfare Alliance aims to pioneer a replicable Veganuary program for other universities.

“Until this group, I’d never had a vegan friend who was my age, so having a community where I can be myself and connect over food without judgment is very special,” said Jeremy Martinez, Director of Logistics at Animal Welfare Alliance and student at UCLA. “I wanted to get involved in the movement, beyond Instagram advocacy; it’s important to me to work with other people toward a common goal.”

UCLA Campus

Vegan Specials in Los Angeles

In response to the growing popularity of Veganuary, Los Angeles restaurants are unveiling exciting offerings for the month of January:

• The Butcher’s Daughter launches a seasonal pizza at all Los Angeles locations, featuring pesto squash artichokes, squash, kale, cashew ricotta, pesto, and chili oil. They are also offering a free drink to anyone who eats a vegan meal and mentions Veganuary for the month of January.
• Hart House launches “Wellness Wednesdays” during the month of January—buy an entree and get a free side and drink!
• Plant Power Fast Food offers a free milkshake made with oat milk when you sign up for Plant Power Fast Food’s rewards program during January. They’re also offering buy one, get one free single cheeseburgers with code VEGANUARYBOGO.
• Veggie Grill features weekly buy one, get one specials on a variety of dishes, as well as a $5 off $20 coupon for the entire menu.
• Veron offers 20% off the Veganuary churro macaron on their website all month long, along with 20% off at their brick-and-mortar location for anyone who comes in and mentions Veganuary.
• PLANTA features specialty menu items across all locations for Veganuary, including non-alcoholic cocktails in partnership with premium non-alcoholic retailer Boisson. They’re also giving 500 bonus loyalty points to customers who dine in twice during the month of January.
• Hey! Sunshine Kitchen offers 15% off online or in-store using promo code VEGJAN15.
• Doomie’s launches a limited-time Family Style Fried Chicken Meal.
• Salt & Straw launches new Dairy-Free Decadence Series featuring five new vegan flavors including Toasted Oat Milk & Cookies, Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Bananas Foster with Candied Pecans, Marionberry Oatmeal Cobbler, and Death By Chocolate Chocolate Cake.
• Sugar Taco launches a new special called “The Munchwrap,” filled with refried pinto beans, seitan carne asada, a crispy corn tostada, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, crema, and queso, all wrapped in a toasted flour tortilla.

Hart House Plant-Based Burger and Tots Courtesy of Hart House

Veganuary continues to support those curious about veganism by providing recipes, shopping tips, restaurant guides, and meal plans. Businesses nationwide are joining the movement, offering promotions and special menu items, making Veganuary more accessible and exciting than ever. Visit Veganuary.com for more information.