Plant-based cuisines have become a staple in Atlanta’s restaurant scene. A survey by WalletHub in September 2019 placed Atlanta as the 6th best city for vegans and vegetarians, even beating out cities like New York and San Francisco. Here are five ways that Atlanta is embracing the vegan and vegetarian dishes into its menus.

1. College like Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Emory University are now offering vegetarian and vegan options in their restaurants and dining halls. This shift comes from a growing number of students who want to see more plant-based foods on their school’s menu.  

2. The Slutty Vegan, the vegan burger joint that has become a massive sensation since opening in 2018, has partnered with Rap Snack to release an all-vegan potato chip line. The snacks will be available in over 100,000 stores in Atlanta and across the U.S. this December. 

3. Atlantans became the judges for KFC’s attempt to go vegan back in August. One KFC location in Smyrna, Georgia, was the test site for the national chain’s newest menu item, “Beyond Fried Chicken.” A plant-based chicken product created by KFC and Beyond Meat could be released nationwide soon. 

4. New restaurants like Grass VBQ Joint, a plant-based barbecue joint, and the aptly named, Plant Based Pizzeria have been opening since the beginning of 2019. Restaurants like these are helping vegans and vegetarians fill the voids for undeserved cuisines in their communities. 

5. Ammazza’s pizza restaurants in Decatur and on Edgewood Avenue added an all-vegan menu to both of their locations in June. The rise of plant-based lifestyles and diets have encourage established restaurant to start offering more vegan and vegetarians items on their menu’s.  

The demand for plant-based food has been on the rise not only in Atlanta but also in America. According to a report by Food Business News, sales for plant-based meat have gone up by 10 % in the past year, and the trends for plant-based cheese and eggs have similar results. Atlanta is sending a clear message to its communities and the rest of the U.S. that these new food trends are here to stay.