A new vegan fast-food restaurant is coming to NYC. Five-year-old Canadian plant-based restaurant chain Globally Local Technologies Inc. has announced that it will open its first US location in Manhattan. The company, which serves vegan takes on classic fast food fare such as burgers, chicken sandwiches, and milkshakes, will be rebranded as Odd Burger.
The upcoming Odd Burger NYC will serve as the company’s flagship location and follow its blueprint of compact smart kitchens. This includes on-demand cooking technology and self-checkout kiosks. The prices are another distinct feature of the restaurant. Most items are prices to be comparable to those of major fast-food chains. The company says this makes its food more accessible to consumers.
Globally Local Technologies became the first vegan fast-food company to go public when it began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange earlier this year. It currently has two locations across Ontario. An additional five restaurants are slated to open within the province this summer. An expansion beyond Canada and Manhattan is in the works.
“New York is the right place to introduce our vegan fast-food concept to the United States and begin our expansion,” said Odd Burger CEO James McInnes. The company plans to open 20 locations across North America in the next 12 months.
Vegan Fast Food NYC
Odd Burger won’t be the first vegan fast food joint to hit NYC. Culver City, California-based chain Veggie Grill opened its NYC outpost in December 2019 as part of its east-to-west expansion. In addition to Veggie Grill, Manhattan has a plethora of plant-based fast food restaurants, including Marty’s V Burger, Next Stop Vegan (A family-owned establishment where plant-based Dominican fare is also on the menu), The Organic Grill, Vistro Burger, Bareburger, By Chloe, and Superiority Burger. (The menu is vegetarian, but vegan-friendly. Punk rock musician-turned-pastry-chef-turned-burger-lord, Brooks Headley, is the owner and chef.)
Odd Burger NYC does not currently have an opening date. The company expects to open the Manhattan location within three months of identifying the site and acquiring the appropriate permits.
