The vegan scene in Long Beach is becoming unparalleled to anywhere else in the Los Angeles region.
We have long-time vegan joints Ahimsa and Steamed in DTLB joining a plethora of newer options that have opened up over the past year or so, including Seabirds, Under the Sun, The Grain Cafe, the expansion of both Caffeinated Kitchen and Wild Chive, along with restaurants offering vegan options that go beyond a veggie-patty, pseudo-sammie. (There’s a vegan poutine at Lacquered that is pretty spectacular and The HipPea’s falafel is one of our essential Long Beach dishes.)
Enter a new phase of veganism: fast food served through a drive-thru.
That’s right. Plant Power Fast Food, which opened its flagship location in San Diego two years ago, is opening a location in Long Beach on Sept. 1 at Clark and Pacific Coast Highway—and hopes to bring in cult-like crowds it has garnered down south.
And when it comes to the food, they are aiming for a purely Californian palate. Vegan milkshakes. Chili cheese fries. Buffalo chicken. Burgers. The whole nine yards. All plant-based, no animal products included.
“Our secret mission has always been to turn more people on to a vegan diet,” said Zach Vouga, VP of Operations. “It’s obviously the wave of the future. But we totally understand that diet is such a personal issue and that each person goes at his or her own pace. So the Plant Power Fast Food brand is really all about turning people on to how delicious plant-based food can be. And we’re doing it in a way that’s welcoming and fun. Our brand isn’t preachy; the food itself is the message.”
CEO Mitch Wallis is no stranger to the concept, having opened up Evolution Fast Food, SoCal’s first vegan fast-food restaurant, in 2009.
Plant Power has two existing locations—one in San Diego, another in Encinitas—with plans to open up in Redlands by this June. The Long Beach location will take over the space that is now home to the shuttered University Burger.
Plant Power Fast Food will be at 5095 E Pacific Coast Highway.