VEGAN CHEF
Vincent Vegan – Plant-based fast food that we absolutely love
“Vincent Vegan makes fast food from plants – and nothing else – for everyone. It’s time to herald the dawn of a new chapter in which we treat our Earth and its inhabitants in a more careful and responsible way. Our aim is to play a part in writing this chapter.”
Vincent Vegan, 2022
“Refreshing and friendly!”
is my first impression when I enter the branch of Vincent Vegan next to Hamburg main train station. It smells delicious, and the bright colors and friendly team behind the counter make you feel welcome and at ease straight away. And, of course, put you in the mood for picking out something delicious to eat. A first glance at the menu makes it clear that there is nothing left to be desired: in addition to burgers, there’s the German specialty “currywurst” (sausage and curry sauce with fries), “chicken nuggets”, different variations on fries, unusual sauces and yummy-sounding shakes. And all of it is completely vegan!
When there’s such a huge choice, it’s great when you have an expert on hand to advise you. Just as I do today in the form of Topias Rohde, one of the two managing directors of Vincent Vegan, who has taken the time to introduce me to the vegan fast food success story that is Vincent Vegan.
By the way, just to be clear: Vincent isn’t a real-life person.
The name is a tribute to Pulp Fiction – or, to be more precise – one of the main characters: Vincent Vega. And because the guys’ favorite film, the main character’s name and the word “vegan” went together perfectly, the name “Vincent Vegan” was born and now stands for a vegan success story which started out with a food truck and no shortage of prejudices to be faced down.
It all started out with a food truck.
The original idea for Vincent Vegan was Christian Kuper’s. The former business consultant was looking for new direction in his life when he came across vegan food. He saw a plant-based diet as the perfect way of combining doing something worthwhile, protecting the climate, and avoiding animal suffering. By the time he got to know Topias Rohde, he had already put the idea of Vincent Vegan down on paper. Rohde had just turned his back on the clubbing and restaurant scene, as well as having undergone a metamorphosis from meat lover to vegan. Just like Christian, the passionate cook was in the process of doing an about-turn in terms of what he did and who he was. As Christian already had a business plan and had organized a truck, and Topi couldn’t get the idea of Vincent Vegan out of his head, they realized they were onto a winning combination. After that, things moved very quickly: the first food truck in 2014 was joined by a second and a third, and they were to be found at music festivals, vegan street food festivals, universities and big events all over Germany. Flying in the face of all the prejudices, the Vincent Vegan food trucks were very soon able to establish a name for themselves thanks to their range, winning flavor and the way they fitted in to people’s modern lifestyles. There was never any shortage of people queuing up in front of the trucks, thus proving those who had been prejudiced wrong, as well as those “experienced” restaurateurs who had smiled rather condescendingly at Christian and Topi’s idea to begin with, and had predicted that they would suffer a rapid demise.
After driving mile upon mile with the food trucks, and spending time and effort making it to events like the Hurricane Festival or locations like the Chiemsee lake in Bavaria, one thing became clear: the food trucks were getting their food out there, but Vincent Vegan wanted more! The decision to sell the trucks and move into permanent premises in the form of their own restaurants heralded the era of a clear mission statement: that vegan food should be available everywhere… The search for new premises was on, and one thing was clear: it should be in the city center! It’s planned that the three restaurants which are currently run in Hamburg and Berlin are soon to be joined by more restaurants in Bremen, Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich – and as has proven successful in the past, in locations which are close to the center and travel hubs, so that people can get something to eat on the go without having to compromise their conscience in terms of animal welfare.
Making the world a better place has never tasted so good
Vincent Vegan’s main aim is not necessarily to sell healthy food – because after all, vegans have to make sure they eat a balanced diet, too. Instead, their aim is to offer an ultimate taste experience which doesn’t cause any suffering to animals. “Veganism doesn’t automatically solve all the world’s problems, but you can live ethically and healthily without having to miss out,” – this is just one of the philosophies behind Vincent Vegan. Both of the managing directors are themselves impassioned vegans. They want to win people over rather than making people feel bad about themselves; make people think by providing them with evidence-based information rather than pointing the finger. Both of them have a desire to promote vegan food which is driven by their love of cooking and of intense, unusual flavors, as well as the knowledge that they’re doing their bit for our planet. And this mission is far removed from the clichéd image of the eco-warrior outsider who, as a vegan, eats nothing but uninspiring “bird feed” which has to be ground by hand with stones. Vincent and his team move with the times, and are anything but quiet outsiders with an eco-warrior image. What they do is more than just a job – they do it out of conviction and because they’re passionate about it.
Christian and Topi’s motto is “Let’s make veganism mainstream!”
because they think eating vegan food needs to become something perfectly normal. And that’s Vincent Vegan’s clear plan for the future – by establishing franchises and additional restaurants in all major German cities, they want to bring vegan fast food to the people, and offer them real plant-based alternatives. As opposed to how things would have been a few years ago, they will now certainly not be laughed at or abused, because Vincent Vegan has quickly managed to shut up those with arrogant prejudices by stuffing their mouths full of delicious burgers!
When you eat Vincent Vegan’s food, you can really taste their love of good food and experience why their overall business plan is so successful. The absolute bestsellers include the “Cheesy One”, the “Veganizer”, as well as “kebab meat” with fries and a garlicky turmeric dip. It’s these original, unusual dips which are the “cherry on top” in terms of the flavor of this “Future Fast Food for Future Generations”. Their American-inspired cooking is certainly anything but boring. At Vincent, they want to serve greasy, sloppy food. The flavorful soul food leaves nothing to be desired from a culinary perspective – whether it’s as a takeaway for a journey, a quick lunch break or to enjoy with friends alongside an after-work beer on a Friday evening. With its colorful menu and well thought-through overall plan, Vincent Vegan’s menu really stands out from what other vegan restaurants have on offer. And we absolutely love it!
