Plant Power's version of In-N-Out "Animal Style" fries along with one of their many burgers. Courtesy of Jenna Lau.
Plant Power's version of In-N-Out "Animal Style" fries along with one of their many burgers. Courtesy of Jenna Lau.

The cult-like following behind Plant Power Fast Food will have to be a bit more patient: Following an announcement earlier this year that the company would open a location at Clark Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway by September, officials at the San Diego-based vegan eatery have announced that the opening of Long Beach’s first vegan fast food joint will most likely be at the end of the year.

After opening its flagship location in San Diego two years ago, the operation has quickly expanded: Redlands will have its first location in the coming weeks. The company will fit comfortable into a vegan scene in Long Beach, which 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.)

And when it comes to the food, Plant Power aims 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 Fast Food will be at 5095 E Pacific Coast Highway.

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.