One of the country’s fastest-growing vegan burger restaurants is getting ready to open up their third New York location as part of an ambitious new expansion strategy.
PLNT Burger is a new fast-casual restaurant that offers indulgent, hand-crafted plant-based burgers that invites guests to eat the change they want to see in the world. The brand was founded by co-owner and chef Spike Mendelsohn in 2019, when he launched the concept at a Whole Foods Market in Springlake, Maryland. Their stated goal is to bring people joy with a chef crafted menu that celebrates the classics in a delicious, fun, and uplifting way. Internally “PLNT” stands for Positivity, Learning, Nourishment, and Togetherness, as the restaurant’s chief mission is to bring people together with food that is good for both the body and the planet.
PL NT Burger began when Mendelsohn was speaking at a panel discussion with soon-to-be partner and co-founder Seth Goldman. Goldman is the chairman of Beyond Meat, and during the panel discussion he brought a cooler of Beyond Meat to Seth and invited him to begin experimenting with the product. Before too long, Spike fell in love with the potential of the new meat alternative, and the two went on to establish PLNT Burger to bring their new concept to the rest of the country.
Earlier this year, PLNT Burger launched their first-ever brick-and-mortar restaurant at Union Square. Prior to their opening, PLNT Burger could only be found in Whole Foods Markets across Maryland and Virginia. Now though, Mendelsohn and his teams are gearing up for a rapid expansion process where they intend to develop many new brick-and-mortar spaces across the U.S. over the next two years. Only a few weeks ago, PLNT Burger launched their second brick-and-mortar space in the Flatiron district, but the team is only just getting started.
PLNT Burger’s latest expansion will see the brand acquiring new retail space at 11 West 42nd Street, by Bryant Park, joining neighboring fast-casual concepts like Chop’t and Cava. Co-founder Seth Goldman said of the deal that “It’s a big bet for us to have four brick-and-mortar locations in New York City, in addition to our growth with Whole Foods Markets,” noting that “It’s wonderful to see the plant-based movement maturing alongside PLNT Burger.
In addition to the Bryant Park expansion, another location will be arriving in Williamsburg at 203 Bedford Ave, with two additional locations planned for Boston later in the year. According to Spike, the company plans to expand to 16 U.S. locations by the end of 2022, and 30 by the end of 2023. For more information and updates on when PLNT Burger may be coming to your neighborhood, you can follow the brand on Instagram.
