STANTON, Calif. — Like a preacher, Kevin Arca wants to convert traditional meat-eaters into plant-based food believers — one bite at a time.
Arca — or a member of his staff — can be seen handing out free bite-sized samples of their plant-based burgers with a Peruvian green sauce and Nashville-style "chickn" sandwiches on any given day.
"A lot of people are still hesitant," said Arca about trying plant-based or vegan food. "We're trying to win them over with the flavor."
Orange County residents will have an opportunity to try it for themselves.
The Los Angeles-based plant-based, quick-serve restaurant has opened a second location inside the Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton. VOWburger takes over the stall formerly occupied by BeLeaf Burgers.
VOWburger started in 2019 with a mission to bring high quality and great tasting plant-based food to consumers, Arca said, and serve a higher purpose — a vow to provide eco-friendly foods to help the planet and fight hunger.
The company donates the same amount of money to local food banks for every meal purchased, Arca added.
"We are combining business with socially conscious efforts."
And a lot of people are joining the cause, he noted.
"There's a massive shift toward plant-based food. People are doing it for various reasons, whether it's personal health, to lessen their impact on the environment, or some people are just against animal factory farming. There is a shift. It's an interesting shift. We see a lot more people who have never tried this before try it."
VOWburger is the latest entry into the fast-growing, but still niche, plant-based fast-food category.
According to the Plant Based Food Association, which represents more than 350 plant-based food companies in the U.S., more people buy and eat plant-based food such as milk, meat and eggs.
In a study by the Plant Based Food Association released in March, the report found that retail sales of plant-based foods grew 6.2% year-over-year, bringing the total plant-based market value to an all-time high of $7.4 billion.
"Overall, plant-based food retail sales grew three times faster than total food retail sales, with most plant-based categories outpacing their conventional counterparts," the study read.
More than 79 million people bought plant-based products in 2021, a 1% — or 2 million-person — increase from the previous year. Leading the way are millennials and Gen Zers, the demographic who "are motivated by an interest in foods that are better for their health and deliver on positive environmental impact and social responsibility," according to the study.
Arca said his goal is to bring VOWburger and other plant-based food eateries and products into the mainstream. The number of plant-based restaurants is less than 1% of fast-food restaurants in the U.S.
So there's growth opportunity, if it catches on, he said.
VOWburger gets some of their plant-based products from Impossible Foods. Arca said they would add special seasoning, charbroil it and add a Peruvian green sauce. VOWburger also serves Nashville-style chickn sandwiches, breakfast burritos with eggs made out of mung beans and vegan milkshakes.
However, Arca knows the price is a sticky matter. A plant-based VOWburger is about $10 — more than the price of two double-doubles from In-N-Out.
And getting people who have eaten traditional beef or chicken most of their life to try an alternative takes a lot more convincing.
"It takes time to change people's preconceived notions," he said. "But once people taste how delicious our food is, and they can lower their meat intake for better health, they'll love it."