Innovation

Veganized’s innovation is to serve 95% organic, natural, vegan food. Veganized sources ingredients from local farms and greenhouses when available. Their main focus is to keep their services and products as natural as possible, avoiding pesticides and chemicals used in most foods today. Chef Ron Biton states, “What kind of environmental impact would it make to remove an x amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers or health impact to remove chemicals, to promote a plant-based restaurant versus high animal protein livestock which requires a lot of energy, gas, electric, water, agriculture etc.?” Veganized aims to make the world a healthier place for everyone and provides delicious and organic food to their customers that seek to live a better lifestyle.

Veganized does not distribute plastic bags nor straws to customers. These practices coincide with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. They also embody Goal 14 Life Below Water because the elimination of the use of straws and plastic bags reduces pollutants in our ocean. By promoting using fewer napkins, they are aligning with Goal 15 Life on Land and helping protect our forests. Veganized sources common restaurant items from green companies and uses local, organic food sources. The to-go containers are one of a series of recycled materials made by West Rock Company and endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association. This association promotes partnerships between restaurants, manufacturers, and distributors and sets green certification standards.

Inspiration

Chef Ron Biton, the owner of Veganized, is in his mid-forties. He aspired to implement a vegan lifestyle since he was a child because he could not understand why people could eat animals without knowing where they came from and how they were processed. He graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan where he studied vegan cooking. He started his vegan restaurant in New York City about two decades and expanded to New Brunswick, NJ in April 2015. Chef Ron identified the niche for vegan options in central New Jersey and decided to explore the opportunity. He opened this restaurant mainly to promote vegetarian food to let the public get an understanding of healthier eating habits, disseminate the concept of green, healthy and safe dietary preferences, alleviate the elimination of modern diseases, causal diseases and at the same time, do more work to protect environmental factors. “What we need to do,” he exclaimed, “is not only provide vegetarian convenience to vegetarians but also to let more non-vegetarians understand vegetarian food, how delicious it could be and to enjoy their experience in trying something different.” In creating this restaurant, Biton wanted to overshadow the concept of a vegetarian lifestyle through his creative palette so that vegetarian life in the future can become an inevitable trend in people's life development.

Overall impact

Veganized brings creativity and innovation to the city of New Brunswick. The dining area upstairs is brightly lit and eccentrically decorated with colorful murals and vintage portraits mounted on the walls, which radiates a positive and relaxing ambiance to dine in. Ron Biton designed the interior himself, channeling his unique taste for art and the global relevance in artistic expression, which enhances the customers' experience. Ron’s creative soul is reflected in his demeanor, personality, and style. His food is all-natural and organic, the plates are accentuated with garnish and design, and the overall taste is nothing less than exquisite. He can fool any non-vegan by making his grilled mushrooms taste like briskets and his carrot cake taste like it’s the healthiest, most delicious dessert you’ve ever consumed. By doing so, he is able to open the minds of his customers, proving that vegan food can taste just as good as meals containing animal products and have greater nutritional benefit.

From framed Victorian-era circus performers to joker sculptures, infused fruit water served after every meal, and a smile on every staff member’s face, there is a clear emphasis on health, wellbeing, and community. It is of no surprise that this restaurant is expanding to open a second vegan restaurant in town. Ron is certainly adding his touch of love and art while painting the new interior and selecting a menu. The innovation is built on passion, and the growth of the business will yield continued sustainability and even further outreach to the community urging them to practice the UNs sustainable goals. Veganized uses 100% renewable energy for long-term environmental sustainability. In Biton’s words, he hopes his long-term effect is “merging his passion with his creativity to give a positive dining experience.” It is a brand new experience for people who are carnivores. The long-term effects on society are eradicating the stigma of Vegan foods, providing a better chance to diversify a diet built around meat. Veganized makes sure to follow a good system, good structure for strong management, pulling good resources and strong recipes and instructions. The main key to developing a strong impact through his qualitative displacement is in his management practices. Biton states that “treating people how they deserve to be treated and understanding them at eye-level as a team working collectively and practicing great customer service,” is where they flourish qualitatively and quantitatively. He hopes to promote a few workers into new roles once his second restaurant opens.

Business benefit

Veganized provides healthy options for the community. Vegans or meat-eaters can come to enjoy deliciously crafted entrees, desserts, and beverages in a setting that soothes the soul. Differing from other restaurants in the area, the menu showcases iconic American-style meals with a vegan twist; this distinguishes Veganized among other vegan restaurants in the area, where mostly Mediterranean or Thai-styled vegan food is offered. The creativity behind the dishes and the combination of surprisingly complementary ingredients elevate the menu and allows their flavorful dishes to compete with both vegan and non-vegan restaurants in the area. Veganized offers delivery, takeout and sit-down options to appease all audiences. The menu includes five appetizers, four salads, eleven sandwiches and flatbreads, nine entrees, and five dessert options. Veganized serves over 425 meals per week; that’s over 50 people that participate in its sustainability efforts per day. Ron’s goal is to bring his creative, nutrient-packed dishes to the community and promote a healthy alternative diet to meat. Veganized’s meals are affordable and are priced from $12-$18, while the health benefits of its cuisine are much greater compared to other non-vegan restaurants. By serving affordable, healthy food in a down-to-earth and unique atmosphere, Veganized has cultivated positive reviews on several websites and continues to attract new customers. The superiority of its cuisine and guaranteed positive dining experience continues to foster customer loyalty.

Using sustainable food sources and materials to operate his restaurant has led to responsible consumption and production. Customers are engaged in this effort and are more mindful of their consumption. Ron’s efforts have a ripple effect. Ron’s genuine care for the environment is recognized by every customer, and his passion improves the image of Veganized. Customers leave Veganized feeling like they had an impact on the community, by being conscious of their consumption and aware of its influence towards a greener environment.

Veganized received 4.5 of 5 stars on Yelp. TripAdvisor ranks Veganized #1 of 57 vegan menu-option restaurants in the city and surrounding area. Continuous positive reviews, satisfied customers, and the innovative, sustainable operations will keep the restaurant profitable. Now, three years from when this innovative, sustainable restaurant was founded, Ron can grow his business and open a second vegan restaurant in New Brunswick. This new restaurant allows Ron to expand his sustainable practices and further impact the community. New workers will be hired, and current staff may receive promotions. His second restaurant will introduce organic liquor and vegan pizza to downtown New Brunswick. It is anticipated that this new sister restaurant will become a very popular spot, located near the Rutgers University main campus.

Social and environmental benefit

Vegetarianism is a healthy, environmentally friendly, effective diet that protects animal rights, animal welfare and achieves harmony between man and nature. There are many reasons why people become vegetarians. One reason could be because they do not want animals to suffer and others want to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Some people just want to support sustainable development and want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by having a vegan meal now and then. Among the greenhouse gases produced by human activity around the world, the food production industry accounts for between one-quarter and one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, most of which is attributed to the livestock industry. Livestock is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. We often underestimate the impact of eating habits on climate change.

Vegetarian restaurants have a big impact on this cyclic maneuver. It will make the world greener in many ways due to less animal husbandry and society healthier causing less incidence of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It could also reduce the incidence of some animal-borne diseases, which can significantly reduce the public health expenditure of the country, improve the health of the people, and improve the quality of life and happiness index. It is through Ron Biton's passion that he is driven to spread the positive and sustainability derived from a vegan life-style and by promoting his customers to be more conscious of their consumption of the restaurants recycled-paper products.

Interview

Ron Biton, Owner and Manager