In collaboration with CultureWave and International Food Futurists, marketing and research company The Food Channel identified “The New Vegan”—or consumers expecting “true personalization” when it comes to vegan options at fast-food establishments—as one of its top ten trends for 2016. According to the report, “restaurants have been scrambling to accommodate this and are essentially making their own rules. We’re also seeing companies trying to fill the vegan niche with vegan alcohols.” In line with the research, vegan fast-food options have seen a boom in 2015. This year alone, Wendy’s test-marketed new vegan burgers, Subway expanded its vegan options to 1,000 locations, and Taco Bell launched a customizable, certified veg menu. The trend is also apparent in the growing number of all-vegan establishments such as newly-opened Singapore-transplant VeganBurg, New York’s wildly popular soon-to-be chain by CHLOE, and Plant Power Fast Food—a vegan fast-food concept coming to San Diego in spring 2016. Other trends included clean food labels, an interest in new superfoods, and food-centric entertainment.

Photo courtesy of VeganBurg