Innovation

The innovative approach adopted by Veganized of serving vegan meals supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, as well as others such as SDG#3 Good Health and Well-Being.

Preparing vegan meals comes without the burden of using animal products that are widely known to harm the environment. According to the article from Emerald insight named “Environmental innovation: in search of a meaning.”, the release of greenhouse gases like CO2, methane and nitrous oxide are all known to contribute to climate change.

Ron Biton, the owner and main cook at Veganized, implemented this innovation by starting a restaurant that serves only vegan food. Ron implemented the plant-based, organic food menu from day one.

After conversations with Biton, it seems that the need to communicate this innovation to the internal and external stakeholders of Veganized was fortunately, not an issue at all, as Biton is the sole owner and does not currently have any other stakeholders. He told us that he had been approached in the past by others interested in ownership stake in the business.

But he also mentioned that there were not any serious offers at the moment. Biton said that he was unaware of the UN Sustainable Goals at the time of creating the business but has since recognized how his innovative meals align with some of the goals we have highlighted. He also told us that funding the vegan meals specifically was not a problem, since Veganized started as a vegan restaurant. Biton did say that he had to take out some loans to open the restaurant, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Inspiration

Biton was inspired to open Veganized as a vegan restaurant to provide healthy plant-based food to both vegans and non-vegans while spreading awareness about his lifestyle as well as the health benefits of consuming vegan food.

Based on the previously mentioned reasons, he also wanted to benefit the environment and its ecosystems including animals.

After asking him what ultimately made him live this lifestyle, he said that he felt such a lifestyle did “fit my personality.” When we asked him about how long he had been a vegan, he responded, “you lose track of time”. This indicated that such a lifestyle can persist over time. However, he later would say that he estimates that he has been a vegan for about thirty years.

Biton’s vision for creating Veganized as a restaurant that is based around serving vegan meals is that when people eat such food, it will make them feel healthy.

He is also inspired by knowing that each time an individual eats at Veganized, he or she will be able to learn more about the different vegan food options that are available. This is particularly important if one is thinking about going vegan. Biton kept alluding to how “lifestyle” plays a primary role in health and wellness.

What inspires him to prepare such meals are the benefits of vegan food to one’s body and to the environment we live in. We all felt that this is a vital part of what makes his business unique since not all restaurants care about health and wellness.

The vegan meals relate to the mission of Veganized by the very nature of the business and his interests. The mission is for people to eat healthy and be conscious of the environment. Cooking vegan food essentially allows Biton to stand by his mission every day.

During our discussions with Biton about specific management innovations, he told us that he tries to let employees have as many choices as possible. For example, when it comes to eating vegan, he “leaves it up to them.” Biton does not force his views or the company's philosophy upon his employees and from our interactions with them during our interviews, they seemed like a very content group of workers.

Overall impact

The overall benefit of providing vegan meals to the public is that it helps reduce the levels of greenhouse gases like CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide in the environment, which are all known to contribute to climate change.

Additional advantages of going vegan are promoting water conservation, reducing deforestation and advancing animal welfare. As widely known, traditional meat production processes are harmful to the environment and are not the healthiest options for humans.

Customers choose to go to a local restaurant that specializes in serving vegan meals as it gives them the opportunity to make a difference in the world. Also, Veganized is helping the sustainability aspect of our world by cooking meals that are beneficial to people from all walks of life.

The short-term goals that Biton strives to achieve include providing awareness of vegan food and making it known that popular meals like a burger can be made in a vegan restaurant. For example, the Deluxe Burger is essentially a lentil mushroom burger with smoked eggplant, charred onion, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a sweet potato bun. It comes with a choice of real crispy fries, sweet potato wedges, or a simple salad. This is a meal that would normally take a toll on the environment and one’s health through the traditional meat production process, but since it is made from mushrooms instead of beef, it is a healthier alternative.

As a result, Biton hopes that patrons of his establishment will take notice of these benefits and will continue to spread the word about this information.

If this word of mouth advertising is done successfully, vegan food and Veganism will eventually become more known than it currently is. This will help to reduce the emission levels in the environment in the long run. This point is validated by the amount of press coverage that Veganized has received in recent news articles.

Business benefit

The vegan meals that make up the entire menu of Veganized have contributed to the overall success of Veganized by being everything that the restaurant stands to promote.

Since Biton created Veganized to be a place where both vegans and non-vegans could try new vegan dishes, the variety in vegan foods offered has been the driving force behind his profits. Without giving specific numbers, Biton made it seem that his restaurant has been tremendously successful since it opened back in 2015. Veganized was able to upgrade its location by moving from 9 Spring Street to its current location at 1 Elm Row. In fact, Biton mentioned that he had plans to open a vegan pizza restaurant at the previous location before COVID-19 hit in 2020. Even though COVID-19 made it challenging to open a separate restaurant, Biton was able to implement his pizza ideas into the current menu at Veganized.

Overall, since Veganized decided to continue to be a one-hundred percent vegan restaurant that is also one-hundred percent natural and ninety-five percent organic, they have been able to be profitable in their business and attract customers of all types.

“Not just vegans” is a comment that Biton restated when asked about what types of customers he hopes to continue to attract. Even though Biton would say most of the customers are vegan, it seems that a fair number of non-vegan customers have become interested in this lifestyle. This is the primary goal of Veganized. Veganized is perfect for the city of New Brunswick as there are so many different types of people that live there, and this restaurant seems to be a place of gathering where people can feel comfortable.

Social and environmental benefit

As mentioned earlier, one of the main goals of Veganized is to help promoting the environment by promoting sustainable food diets. Since the food consists mainly of vegetables, fruit, and other non-animal products, the typical cooking processes needed in a standard American meal are not required. Most restaurants rely on meat processes that emit unhealthy gases. Once again, Veganized does not require greenhouse gases like CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide to operate, which will significantly reduce the pollution levels in the environment.

Also, by Veganized not needing to use meat, there will be reduction in animal slaughter and deforestation activities for the land space needed for cattle and dairy farming processes.

Veganized can set the example for what a restaurant should do even if it does not want to become a fully vegan restaurant, by reducing the amount of meat consumed.

It has been proven that taking such actions can help protect the environment by reducing the level of toxic gases in the atmosphere.

Even though Veganized is one restaurant, it is one step in the right direction and will hopefully inspire other potential restaurant owners to adopt such practices. The measures Biton has taken to ensure that his food is of premium quality and also made from organic ingredients is commendable, particularly in today’s society. “My lifestyle” was a phrase that Biton reiterated throughout the interview, which truly shows how his own experience of going vegan and its benefits can resonate with consumers and is the primary reason for the success of Veganized.

Interview

Ron Biton, Owner