Foodies often define veganism by its negative space: no meat, no cheese, no animal products whatsoever. But this plant-based eating style is more than its absence. Vegan diners center whole foods and plant-based sources of protein and fat, and dining dogma shouldn't get pushed to the wayside when eating out. No, a protein-less salad does not satisfy the requirements of a vegan meal. It's a pile of lettuce.
The last few years have seen a slew of bankruptcies at popular restaurant chains, but the industry downturn is also spreading to some smaller upscale concepts. Popular chain restaurants that went bankrupt in the past year have included Bucca Di Beppo, TGI Fridays, and Red Lobster, and even chains that haven't gone bankrupt, like Denny's and Applebee's, have been closing stores. There is no one cause for the whole industry; a perfect storm of rising costs and the disruption of the pandemic has made keeping sit-down restaurants open harder than ever, and those trends also came for the vegan chain Planta.