FAST-FOOD VEGAN CUISINE
Tecumseh outlet set to open in April
Fast food might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about vegan cuisine.
The non-meat alternative to a slab of animal slapped on the barbecue for a quick burn on both sides would appear to be a more time-consuming endeavour when it comes to preparing a meal.
But a new fast-food franchise coming to Tecumseh in the new year hopes to change all that — and change people’s attitudes toward choosing vegan.
“It’s not your typical vegan place — it’s not, ‘Hey, here’s another salad bowl,’ ” said James Mcinnes, who started the business with his wife Lia. “What we’re bringing to the Windsor area is vegan fast food.”
Globally Local was launched three years ago in London, where it now has two outlets. It branched out to Toronto in September and is opening a local franchise in a small St. Clair Beach strip mall at 13462 Tecumseh Rd. E. in April. Bacon, ham, chicken and burgers are all on the menu, but this is food prepared with and containing no animal products, including eggs, milk or even honey.
“This evolved from trying to get more people to eat plants,” said Mcinnes, a vegan himself but not somebody who frowns on those who eat meat. “I just think the best-tasting food is plant-based,” he said.
Mcinnes said the couple had a produce business set up like a farmers’ market, and they started offering a homemade veggie burger. It became so popular that the couple acquired a food truck and began travelling to various events, including several years in a row to Windsor’s Vegfest.
In 2016, they set up among the meat lovers at the London Ribfest, “and we sold out — people came out like crazy. They were shocked at how good it was,” said Mcinnes. The couple had found a culinary niche, and it’s now targeting areas considered underserviced for plant-based fast food designed for people on the go. Mcinnes said they’ve been getting calls from other potential franchisees in the Windsor area, and Globally Local is planning for up to 10 new outlets in 2020, with the Tecumseh business near the border serving as “a stepping stone into Detroit.”
“We’re not trying to get people off meat, we’re not a preachy organization, but this is like a mission for us,” said Mcinnes. “It’s about opening people’s eyes to something new — here’s a fantastic tasty option.”
Globally Local — a name derived from the environmentalist credo of affecting global change by acting locally — specializes in offering vegan versions of fast-food classics. Close your eyes, said Mcinnes, and “a lot of people can’t tell the difference with our chicken burger.”
It’s all in the raw ingredients and preparation — the seasonings, coatings, texture and flavours and meat alternatives cooked fresh and fast in specialized convection ovens.
The main patty used at Globally Local is chickpea-derived, while soy milk-sourced tofu is another main ingredient, as well as wheatbased seitan, which, when cooked, can become similar to meat in look and texture.
“If it’s great food, people are gonna go to it,” said Adriano Ciotoli of Windsoreats, adding he’s “excited” about Globally Local entering the local culinary scene.
“It’s always a good thing when we see something new coming here in food and beverages,” said the founder and co-owner of the local food and drink guide.
Whether it’s from the urgings of environmentalists or from the evolving quality and availability, Ciotoli said more and more North Americans are shifting to vegetarianism and veganism.
Existing local vegan eateries like Carrots N Dates and Nooch have been getting “rave reviews,” he said.