“New York’s hippest vegan cafe is coming to London,” “Ultra cool vegan restaurant is coming to London” read the headlines.

Such is the scale of the buzz around the launch of the first international branch of “plant-based fast casual restaurant” By Chloe.

It’s set to open in Covent Garden, central London in January 2018.

They set themselves apart from other eateries by aiming to “offer a fast-casual experience for delicious food at a quick pace and reasonable price point, with full-service sensibilities.”

But why did they pick London for their fast branch outside of New York?

“London seems like a perfect fit for our first international location,” Samantha Wasser, Co-founder of By Chloe, told The Independent.

“The thriving dining scene, the culture and the fashion all make London the ideal city filled with diners with a growing curiosity for vegan and plant-based cuisine.”

With the number of vegans in the UK having risen 360 per cent over the past ten years, there definitely seems to be growing appetite for plant-based cuisine amongst Brits.

What’s more, many people who aren’t strict vegans still enjoy meat- and dairy-free food from time to time, engaging with Meat-Free Monday, for examples.

“People are becoming increasingly interested in the food they are consuming, where it comes from and how it’s made,” Wasser says.

“A plant-based diet helps to reduce your carbon footprint and helps to support a healthy lifestyle. At the end of the day, it’s delicious and that is what matters most!”

At By Chloe, everything is made from scratch. Instead of meat, chefs use tempeh and seitan, but they don’t use any ingredients made to directly mimic meat.

The first branch of the eatery opened in the heart of the West Village in New York City in July 2015 and there are now several locations across the US, including Boston, MA and Silverlake, California.

The London restaurant is set to seat 70 guests and also offer food to grab and go.