Plant-based fast-food joint Moonburger sparks controversy with new menu option: Beef
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Moonburger's controversial menu item
Moonburger's relatively simple concept of a reimagined classic American fast-food joint that served plant-based burgers, fries and dairy-free catapulted it to widespread acclaim soon after its 2021 opening in Kingston. It soon expanded to New Paltz, then Poughkeepsie, and this summer, it opened its fourth location in Brooklyn.
But for its third anniversary on Oct. 9, the pioneering vegetarian restaurant made a surprising announcement: It was adding beef to its menu.
The decision responds to increasing demand, Moonburger founder and owner Jeremy Robinson-Leon said in the social media announcement.
"America is eating as much meat as ever. In fact, more people identify as meat eaters in 2024 than when we started. And the vast majority of the meat in America is a factory-farmed commodity controlled by huge corporations," he said. "To meet this moment, Moonburger is offering a new choice."
For the same price of $7.59 for a single-patty cheeseburger, guests can now choose between an Impossible burger and a beef patty from family farms in Seneca Falls. To prevent cross-contamination, every restaurant has added a second grill, Robinson-Leon said.
Moonburger billed the beef used for its patties as "some of the highest-quality, most sustainable, most delicious beef out there."
But while the announcement was welcomed by many, others didn't join in the excitement - particularly Moonburger's vegan and vegetarian fans, who flooded the comments on social media claiming they felt betrayed. Many questioned how sustainable beef consumption can be given its impact on the environment.
"To acknowledge that animal/meat consumption is a global climate crisis and still cater to that issue, by now including meat on your menu, is hypocritical and so disappointing," one customer commented. "To echo similar sentiments on this thread, your success came from the pockets of many vegetarians and vegans and omnivores with veg friends wanting to feel a shared sense of community over comforting food. Veg folks lifted you up on various chats, recommending you to people visiting out of town. This literally makes no sense to me as a business model - and clearly so many others - and now you come off as a gentrified Burger King ... gross."
A Change.org petition asking Moonburger to reconsider its decision had 64 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
"Not so long ago, Moonburger was a vegetarian haven, founded and firmly rooted in a commitment to promote ethical and earth-friendly food choices," reads the petition, created on Oct. 12. "We rejoice in all restaurants that provide for vegetarians and vegans, but Moonburger was a pioneer, a beacon of light in a largely carnivorous food landscape."
While Moonburger hasn't shared a public response on its social media, Robinson-Leon told the Times Union he appreciates and respects all guests' perspectives and feedback.
"We've served more than 6,000 guests since we kicked off MB 2.0 last week. We've had our biggest sales days ever in the last five days - serving a ton of Impossible, as always, and lots of our new premium beef," he said. "Everyone is welcome at Moonburger. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or meat eater (70% of our guests since we started Moonburger in '21) or anywhere in between, our team is working hard to offer really great options and hospitality for everyone. We're going to keep doing everything we can to make the greatest impact at every point."
Moonrise Bagels eyes Kingston for new location
Moonrise Bagels, the shop known for stuffed bagels, is steadily growing. Owners Ali Chetkof Rhodes and Jeremy Rhodes expanded from Woodstock to Poughkeepsie this summer, and now, it appears to be Kingston's turn.
The bagel shop soft-launched the news on an Instagram story earlier this month with a photo of a worker painting what appeared to be the tiny storefront at 746 Broadway in the bagel shop's signature sky-blue color. The post was tagged in Kingston and mentioned its next-door neighbor, the bar Nightswim. Within days, a Moonrise Bagels sign was added to the storefront.
It's unclear when the location will open. The Times Union could not confirm the news on the record with the owners.
The stuffed bagel was born in the early pandemic days inside the Rhodes' Woodstock apartment. Their creation gained many fans, allowing the now-married couple to open their first location at 86 Tinker St. in December 2021. Since then, they've sold more than 50,000 hand-rolled stuffed bagels, which include chicken Parm, reuben, bacon, egg, and cheese, Philly cheesesteak, Buffalo chicken, barbecue tempeh and peanut butter and jelly varieties. Their bagels have even been featured on the "Today Show."
In other food news ...
Darlings New Paltz spring 2025: The owners of Darlings in Tillson are looking at a spring 2025 opening of the restaurant's second location, this time in New Paltz in the former home of Village Pizza, which closed in August. What's coming? Small bites with bar vibes, owner Madi Taylor said.
New food offerings and merch at Unicorn Bar: Kingston's queer bar and performance venue will offer more than cocktails and dance parties as it recently announced a merch line designed by Ash + Chess (think T-shirts, crops, beanies and totes) and a new in-house food program that will have vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Starting Oct. 24, grilled cheese sandwiches, dolmas and other small snacks, plus new cocktails, mocktails, wines and more will be available. You might find a chocolate vulva on the menu, too.
This story was originally published October 16, 2024, 3:34 PM.
