Pandemic prompts Tokyo burger restaurant to go vegan

The “Great Lakes Tokyo” burger restaurant in the Japanese capital is going completely vegan. First opening in December 2019, it originally served both meat and veggie burgers. However, just a few months after opening its doors, the Coronavirus Crisis forced it to close them temporarily and during this time, American owner John Penny took the decision to turn his restaurant vegan after learning about the role that meat played in causing the pandemic.

In a Facebook post, he announced: “With the health and prosperity of our customers and planet in mind, we are making one major change to how we operate: Great Lakes is now 100-percent vegan.”

He added: “COVID-19 was caused by the exploitation of animals. I can’t see any other way to move forward given the devastation around the world. Our mission hasn’t changed at all and neither has our food. If anything, I feel this makes us more inclusive.”

The new vegan menu has proven so popular that the restaurant has had to close early several times after selling out of burgers. One of its highlights is the “Superior Burger”, which features vegan cheese sauce, marinated onions, vegan mayo, tomato jam, and baby greens.

| Article by Cecily Grace Morgan- United Kingdom