Current:Home > MarketsLos Angeles vegan restaurant to add meat dishes, says lifestyle not solution for all -CapitalEdge
Los Angeles vegan restaurant to add meat dishes, says lifestyle not solution for all
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:08:32
A popular vegan restaurant in Los Angeles announced it would incorporate animal products into its menu Monday.
Sage Plant Based Bistro, which has three locations in the greater Los Angeles area, said it will add dishes with animal products raised through so-called regenerative farming practices on May 29. Regenerative farming is an agricultural method that aims to reduce the dependence on chemicals and promote biodiversity in crop and livestock raising.
The restaurant will also change its name to Sage Regenerative Kitchen and Brewery.
"I no longer feel that a vegan lifestyle for all is a viable solution for the planet and its soil which is one of our most precious resources," Sage chef-owner Mollie Engelhart said in an open letter.
Engelhart told USA TODAY Sunday that the restaurant has not been profitable since 2020. The restaurant closed one location in Agoura Hills and converted their Culver City location to take-out only.
"People are not going to stop eating meat, so why not offer an option where it is done right," Englehart said.
Engelhart sold the Sow a Heart farm in Fillmore, California, in December. The farm provided up to 25% of the restaurant's produce and Sage continues to purchase from it.
Backlash to announcement
The announcement received backlash on Instagram, where multiple commenters stated they would no longer support the business.
"Sage Bistro is trying to rebrand itself as a champion of the environment while serving meat, and it’s like a firefighter spraying fuel on the flames and saying they’re doing something to help," Amber Canavan, a vegan campaigns project manager for PETA, told the Los Angeles Times.
In the open letter Englehart defended the changes as a part of the evolution of her thinking on how best to protect the planet. Englehart pointed towards the multitude of changes in the restaurant industry after the COVID-19 pandemic and the proliferation of vegan options as reasons behind the change.
"It’s vulnerable to publicly say, 'I believed one thing, and maybe I was wrong and now I believe something else,'" Engelhart told the Times. "I hope that it inspires people in their own lives to be willing to be open-minded when something else makes more sense to you."
Engelhart said that the restaurant will still offer vegan options and added that regenerative farming could provide a common cause for people with different dietary preferences.
"All of these people should be able to come together for foods with less chemicals," Engelhart said.
What is regenerative farming?
According to the Regenerative Farmers of America, regenerative farming is an approach to agriculture that "prioritizes soil health, biodiversity, and natural processes."
While traditionally farmed fields tend to rely on chemicals and focus on single crops, regenerative farmers "use a variety of practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and the integration of livestock to improve soil health, conserve water, and promote biodiversity."
The association says the practices involve creating more nutrient-dense produce, improving yields and creating drought-resistant soil.
veryGood! (119)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- NATO’s Rutte calls for more Western support for Ukraine, warns of Russian alliances
- Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
- Cavaliers' Darius Garland rediscovers joy for basketball under new coach
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere
- Celtics' Jaylen Brown calls Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo a 'child' over fake handshake
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
- Sam LaPorta injury update: Lions TE injures shoulder, 'might miss' Week 11
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Horoscopes Today, November 10, 2024
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
Recommendation
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Former Disney Star Skai Jackson Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Her Boyfriend
Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago Gives Birth, Welcomes Twins With Jesse Sullivan
Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Love Is Blind’s Chelsea Blackwell Reacts to Megan Fox’s Baby News
Katherine Schwarzenegger Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Chris Pratt
See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere