Operations
Why Veggie Grill CEO thinks downsizing will fuel growth
Veggie Grill's plan for growth includes exploring franchising, menu enhancements and technology upgrades.
September 20, 2023 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
Closing locations is often the beginning of the end for a restaurant brand, but Veggie Grill CEO T.K. Pillan believes his decision to close 12 underperforming restaurants will fuel the brand's growth. The California-based chain was founded in 2006, and by 2020 had grown to over 35 locations.
"The pandemic had a significant impact on traffic patterns in high-density office trading areas," Pillan told FastCasual about why he began closing locations in 2021. "Restaurants in those areas across all segments were forced to reevaluate their location strategy. We're now focused on optimizing our rightsized fleet of restaurants first and foremost by recommitting to the menu innovation that has been the hallmark of our brand."
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| Veggie Grill offers the Steak Fajita Quesadilla made with Beyond Steak. Provided by Veggie Grill |
The closures aren't something to be feared; instead, they are part of a strategic business plan for the plant-based concept that has only corporate-owned stores now operating in stores in California, Oregon, Washington and Massachusetts.
"(We are laying) the foundation for future sustainability and pave the way for a renewed commitment to menu innovation and a greater focus on serving amazing food across all 17 current Veggie Grill restaurants," Pillan said.
That means going back to the basics as well as exploring franchising. As of now, all locations are corporate-owned, but franchising is on the table.
"We are laser-focused in 2023 on menu innovation and operational excellence," said Pillan, who earned an engineering degree from MIT and an MBA from UCLA. "This will provide us a launching pad for growth in 2024. We anticipate expanding our company footprint and engaging in franchising in Q3."
A new menu
Part of Veggie Grill's growth plan includes a new menu that boasts its mission statement of providing, "Exceptional better-for-you dining experiences and plant-based excellence that satisfies all cravings." The menu menu builds on the chan's 17 years of in-house culinary experience pioneering plant-based menus in a limited-service context, serving cutting-edge food products like Yo Egg, Koji Turkey, Beyond Meat and Carrot Cheese.
Veggie Grill recently expanded its partnership with Beyond Meat to offer Beyond Steak — which has 21 grams of protein, 1 gram of saturated fat and 170 calories per serving — on three existing fan-favorite menu items, including the Steak Fajita Quesadilla, the Sonoran Bowl and the Classic Romaine Caesar Salad.
"Veggie Grill has always been 100% plant-powered and will continue to be in the future," said Pillan, who said plant-based restaurants are proliferating throughout the US with plant-forward eating growing every year. "We were founded on the intention to share plant-based excellence with the broadest audience possible by delivering 'Feel-Good Food for All.'"
Improving operations
Closing stores, enhancing the menu and looking into franchising aren't the only changes at Veggie Grill.
"We launched our updated online ordering app earlier this year and saw an immediate increase in online orders driven by an improved user experience and convenience," said Pillan, who is also planning to test kiosk ordering in 2024.
"Our fans have a passion for Veggie Grill that fuels our team as we work to continue to bring the best of the plant-based world to communities across the country," he said.
About Cherryh Cansler
