A California vegan restaurant chain is closing for good on Sunday after furious activists targeted the business for offering customers meat.
Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery has locations in Pasadena and Echo Park but financial problems such as rent and taxes have also contributed to its closure, the New York Post reported Sunday.
Owner Mollie Engelhart was downcast after vegans who disagreed with the added menu options protested the move to update the menu. The business had added bison burgers, cheese, and other foods to entice diners.
“Engelhart said it was all grown with regenerative farming methods, which are meant to have less environmental impact than traditional farming,” the Post article read.
However, the plan apparently did not work and infuriated vegans who gave the restaurant bad reviews online and offered negative comments on the restaurant’s social media pages.
“There’s no honour in unnecessary killing. You are guilty of crimes against compassion. You were never vegan. Vegans do not go back and let down the innocent animals. Regeneration comes from rewilding not just better welfare. Sad and hypocritical and karma deserving,” one person wrote on a video Engelhart posted in April.
“Vegan for the animals, always,” the person added.
In an Instagram post a few days ago, the restaurant announced its last day of service would be on Sunday, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that we close the chapter on Sage.”
However, many people appeared gleeful at the news:
“Best present for the holidays, chef mollie crying about not being able to serve dead animals to people anymore. Boo hoo,” one user commented, while another said, “This is a great day for animals. One less butcher shop posing as a restaurant in town.”
Another person had a different take on the situation.
“The disgusting, uncalled for, annoying, disruptive and inhumane treatment of the ‘vegan police’ towards the staff and owners, in the name of being humane towards animals…when they themselves were being the absolutely hateful doggone tribe…will never go unnoticed karmically!!! That’s on them!!!” the user commented.
Video footage from June shows protesters with signs reading “Meat Is Murder” inside one of the restaurant’s locations. Outside, it appeared someone had smeared fake blood on the sidewalk:
In the restaurant’s post on Sunday, the owners shared their gratitude for everyone who supported them for the past several years.
“Thank you for 14 incredible years of support. With love from the Sage family, Mollie & Elias, we say goodbye,” the post read.
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