Restaurants and grocers in Portland celebrate Veganuary with special offerings, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace a vegan lifestyle this year.
As Veganuary sweeps the globe, Portland-based eateries and grocers are stepping up their game in 2024, enticing residents to embrace plant-based living with a plethora of promotions and delectable vegan offerings. Let's delve into the exciting initiatives from some of the city's favorite spots.
Growing Vegan Trend in Portland
In 2023, Portland earned the impressive title of the #2 city in the US and #1 metro area for "vegan" searches on Google. This year, the city is taking it a step further as local businesses, including Higher Taste, the Association of Oregon Recyclers, and New Seasons Market, rally their staff and members to embark on the Veganuary challenge.
"By embracing Veganuary, we're not just highlighting a broad range of plant-based foods; we're also empowering our customers to deepen their understanding of where their food comes from and what's in it. Education is a key ingredient in making informed, thoughtful food choices, and we're committed to providing the necessary resources for our community to do just that,” said Chris Harris, Category Director for Produce at New Seasons Market. “At New Seasons Market, every choice is a chance to do good. By continuously supporting our customers' journey towards more conscious eating, we affirm that our stores remain a place that celebrates sustainability, healthy living, and the power of community."
National Trends and Local Initiatives
According to a YouGov study, 71% of US adults aim to consume more vegetables in 2024. Veganuary, in collaboration with Portland Vegan Dining Month, is responding to this growing demand with an array of plant-based dishes and special offerings. Highlights include:
- New Seasons Market celebrates Veganuary online by highlighting their expansive plant-based range and in-store with "Vote for Veggies" buttons for staff. They also have special offers on select plant-based brands, including Prime Roots.
- Salt & Straw launches a 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.
- Sizzle Pie offers a new vegan pizza of the month: Battle Cat, which features an olive oil base, Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella, red onion, tomato, seasoned soy curls, and green onion, topped off with spicy crema verde.
- Veggie Grill offers weekly “Buy One, Get One” specials on a variety of dishes, as well as a $5 off $20 coupon for the entire menu.
- Rush Bowls launches a Detox Bowl, which features a blend of banana, pineapple, apple, pitaya, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and oat milk, topped with fresh apples and pomegranate seeds.
- Food Fight! Grocery offers a special Veganuary shake called the Veganucherry, made with maraschino cherries and chocolate chips.
- Rudy’s Gourmet Pizza launches a creamy spinach, artichoke, and jalapeño pizza, featuring roasted artichoke, spinach, and jalapeños on top of creamy, cheesy sauce covered in Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds with a garlic butter crust.
- Blossoming Lotus features a new rustic vegetable stew, with tomatoes and bell peppers stewed in a creamy rich sauce with cannellini beans, roasted carrots, kale, cashew chevre, and chives; served with toasty roasted garlic bread
- Gnarly’s launches The Hunky Tony, a spicy PB&J burger with a signature patty, bakon, Portland spicy peanut butter, pickled jalapeños, spicy provolone, and blueberry compote on buttery toasted sourdough.
- Departure launches a new special menu item: Roasted Squash Dan Dan Noodles, featuring tofu with roasted kabocha, acorn, and butternut squash, stir-fried broccolini, red cabbage, and kale, wok tossed with Chinese yakisoba noodles, in a Szechuan-inspired Dan Dan noodle sauce, finished with toasted sesame, fragrant basil, and mandarin orange for a touch of sweetness.
- Clarklewis adds a new 3-course meal, featuring a baby green salad (Peter’s cranberries, toasted pecans, fennel, Honeycrisp apple, cranberry-bergamot vinaigrette); Kern Ridge carrot “Osso Bucco” wild foraged mushrooms, cipollini onions, whipped Montecucco Farms turnips; and wood-baked fresh pear crumble with chai spiced sorbet.
- More specials can be found on the Vegan Dining Month website!
“January marks a large consumer shift towards prioritizing planet-friendly eating and living a healthy lifestyle, so we’re encouraging new and existing guests to participate in Veganuary with exciting weekly promotions throughout the whole month!” said Renae Scott, Chief Marketing Officer of Veggie Grill. “We’re looking forward to seeing our dedicated Veggie Grill fanbase in Portland invite vegan-curious or flexitarian friends and family to try our plant-powered salads, bowls, comfort food, and more.”
Embrace Veganuary in Portland
As the Veganuary movement gains momentum, Portland stands at the forefront, encouraging residents to explore the vibrant world of plant-based eating throughout January and beyond.
Visit Veganuary.com for more information.
