New Jersey restaurant faces backlash for adding meat options to its menu
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A gluten- and dairy-free restaurant in New Jersey known for its vegan-friendly dishes has come under scrutiny for changing its menu to offer more protein.
Goodbeet in Haddon Township introduces local, organic, pasture-raised chicken and wild-caught Prison Island salmon It was added to the menu two months ago.
Front manager Michael Hughes has been with Goodbeet for seven years. He told Fox News Digital that adding the new elements was a business decision.
Lawmakers ban term ‘VEGGIE-BURGER’, LIMIT MEAT DESCRIPTIONS IN EU
“My boss knows market trends pretty well… so he keeps an eye on what popular vegan restaurants are changing and how they stay afloat,” Hughes said.
“It wasn’t something we wanted to do, but it was something we felt we had to do to stay open.”
Goodbeet restaurant sparked outrage among vegan customers after adding chicken and salmon to its menu. (Farewell)
The change sparked anger among some people.
Some animal rights activists posted many negative messages on their social media accounts, and some customers even chose to boycott the store.
“There is no way you can serve the meat and secretions of innocent animals while at the same time respecting their rights,” one person said on Instagram.
YOU MAY BE EATING KALE WRONG AND LACKING ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS, RESEARCHERS WARN
Another user wrote: “You have failed the vegan community, a community [that] It is based on a selfless understanding that we should not exploit animals.”
The same person added: “You could have [stood] for something. you could have [stood] for the weak, the most exploited [on] planet. But you made a business decision instead.”
“There is no way to respect the rights of innocent animals when serving their flesh and secretions,” one person wrote about the restaurant’s decision to serve chicken and fish. (Farewell)
Another person commented: “Slaughterhouse supporters.”
Although the restaurant is known for its vegan offerings, its staff said Goodbeet has never described itself as a completely vegan restaurant, but rather as a gluten- and dairy-free venue.
Staff said the restaurant made menu changes to offer protein options to existing customers and bring in new customers.
“We were really doing our best to let [customers] We know we really hear you, but… it was very difficult to respond to some of those comments because they were just hateful,” Hughes said.
He added that the restaurant’s intention was not to harm people. Instead, it changed the menu to offer protein options to existing customers and bring in new customers.
CLICK FOR MORE LIFE STORIES
“We really want to attract new people to try our herbal products,” he said. “I have a lot of customers who have been coming in for years and don’t want chicken or salmon, and they don’t even know about it.”
“But when I add that, you know, their partners usually say, ‘Yeah, I’d love that with some chicken on the side,'” Hughes continued.
One manager said that if the restaurant’s attackers decided to return in six months, staff would “be here with open arms and happy to see them again”. (Farewell)
“I have a lot of faith-based vegan clients,” Hughes said. “This actually has nothing to do with their diet, but they don’t want to harm the animals and they don’t agree with how it’s done.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
He emphasized that local support is great.
“A lot of people in the community come and say, ‘We want to support’ [you].”
The restaurant’s owner (not pictured) said he was committed to offering plenty of healthy options to his customers. (iStock)
He said if the attackers decided to return in six months, the restaurant’s staff “will be here with open arms and happy to see them again.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Owner Ashley Coyne He told FOX 29 is committed to providing customers with healthy options.
“Our food is legitimately healthy. No seed oils, no refined sugar. So people come here a few times a week. It’s definitely improved over the years. And now that we’ve added chicken and salmon, we’re hoping to bring in a lot of new faces,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
He also said rising costs in the restaurant industry, such as labor, food and paper products, also contributed to his decision.
