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call to action! help bring VEGAN PIZZA TO THE MASSES!
40July 29th, 2010vegan cheeseWANT VEGAN PIZZA NEAR YOU?!?! here’s how…
maybe we are idealists, or maybe we are just crazy…but we think that with your help, we can bring vegan pizza to the masses. and by vegan pizza, i mean pizza with actual VEGAN CHEESE (none of this cheeseless nonsense).
when we started this blog, vegan pizza in los angeles was a joke. there was damiano’s which was hugely expensive and decent at best…then after a while purgatory pizza popped up, and cruzer (which subsequently turned into an all vegan pizzeria!), followed by national chains like zpizza and pizza fusion, and now tons of little guys including lenzini’s, deano’s, and masa (of chicago deep dish fame).
this past year has been one huge and incredible vegan pizza explosion—but we aren’t satisfied yet. let’s take this shit to the next level. even though i just named a slew of vegan-friendly places, i bet that most of you have multiple pizzerias more conveniently located near your home or work that don’t have a dairy-free cheese offering. how great would it be if they did? that’s where this nifty form comes in.
fill it out, sign your name, and drop it off or mail it to all the pizzerias you’d like to be able to eat at. copy the text, and email it as well…let’s hit them up from all sides. SERIOUSLY, this stuff works. LA distributors are already carrying vegan cheese, restaurants just need to know that there’s a demand. and there IS A DEMAND…RIGHT?!?! right!
CLICK IMAGE to download the vegan pizza PDF
please note: on this form, i suggested daiya and teese as options for pizzerias to stock, because those are the only vegan cheeses available in LA that i actually like. if you don’t agree, feel free to edit the form to add or delete products as you see fit. hey, here’s a word document to make it super easy.
are you guys on board?! i seriously think if we do this, the vegan pizza choices in LA could take a massive upturn. supposedly this blog has a lot of readers—i don’t know who you people are, but i think you can help out in making vegan options more prevalent in our fair city. worth a shot? YES!
please comment below with any stories about your vegan pizza outreach and success. we are curious to see how many people actually take the time to do this…and even more curious to see what the results are as far as vegan pizza options are concerned!
btw: BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE use this form even if you don’t live in LA. everywhere needs more vegan pizza!
Tags: pizza, vegan cheese
40 responses to “call to action! help bring VEGAN PIZZA TO THE MASSES!” 
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I believe a restaurant has to be dedicated to offering vegan choices, and not just because it is requested by the masses. If a bunch of people ask for vegan options, and the pizza place has no real understanding what vegan is or means to us, I could see them running short on Daiya and fortifying it with some regular cheese, or casein based soy cheese. They also might believe that eggs are vegan and add it to their dough.
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Kelley July 29th, 2010 at 06:50
I disagree with Screwdriver. I think the only way we are going to get vegan options is if we keep on requesting them. This form is a great start. I know Lucifers used to have the soy cheese with casein, but when enough people spoke up about it they switched.
Also the only reason Cruzer started carrying vegan options is because people asked them to.
Let’s face it, as long as these places are not vegan owned, they will never be as dedicated as we like. I think as long as they carry Daiya, I’m happy.
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I think this is a great idea! With the restaurants you mentioned (and natural food markets like Whole Foods and Mother’s also offering vegan pizza with Daiya), we have many more options than before… but I also envision a future where we can get vegan pizza whenever and wherever we want… from mom and pop establishments to chains like California Pizza Kitchen.
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spotted_one July 29th, 2010 at 07:33
@Screwdriver – you’re just paranoid. No way this can be a negative thing. Why would a restaurant add eggs to their dough just because people are requesting vegan cheese?! The more vegan cheese the better – no ifs ands or buts.
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anandajc July 29th, 2010 at 10:09
I straight-away sent this to CPK and plan to turn a hand copy in to my local branch of their restaurant tonight. I was already planning on going there. Talk about perfect timing.
Thanks QG!
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fanfront July 29th, 2010 at 10:10
i’m there, dude. will be all over the valley this weekend dropping these off. fucking fed up of cheeseless pizzas from my local takeout.
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sandii01 July 29th, 2010 at 10:13
hahahahahahahahah! What an awesome idea. I’m going to take these in to the two places near me in Studio City. I hope they get inundated with flyers.
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Great idea – I think about this often, and that letter is perfect. Thanks for this!
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I’m all about submitting this to Tony at Palermo Pizza – that place was my favorite before I went vegan! This is a great idea, QG!
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Screwdriver July 29th, 2010 at 11:31
@spotted_one
How did you get that I meant they would add eggs just cause they asked for vegan?
QG did a story on a pizza place that listed vegan, yet had eggs in their crust. Many pizza places add eggs. If the owner has no real idea what vegan is, well…it might be a crap shoot just how vegan you pizza really is…
The letter has good intentions…..but just asking that they carry vegan cheese, without teaching them what vegan is….well….have fun with that.
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Aaron July 29th, 2010 at 11:36
screwdriver, most pizza crust is vegan. this letter is a great idea for 98% of pizzerias. don’t shoot it down.
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vegevin July 29th, 2010 at 11:47
I am so going to submit this to Abbot’s Habit in Venice and Bravo Pizzeria in SM (who already have a “Vegan Delight” cheese-less pie on their menu). Thanks, QG!
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SoCalVegGal July 29th, 2010 at 13:06
Might help to remind the restaurants how this will also appeal to lactose intolerant and generally health-conscious guests, along with vegans. And remind them how especially in LA, vegan and health-conscious are very common things!
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CPK would be a game changer, totally focus on that peeps! I guess I am the only one who likes FYH! There’s just a science to mixing the mexican and mozzarella & shredding it real thin to win!
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LCmom July 29th, 2010 at 16:22
I like FYH too. Tomato Joes has one of my favorite vegan pizza’s and that’s what they use.
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Gregalor July 29th, 2010 at 16:56
It’s true, cheeseless Papa John’s just doesn’t fly with me any more.
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Gauri Radha July 29th, 2010 at 17:22
Thanks for the letter-form, I will try sending it to local pizza places.
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Gregalor July 29th, 2010 at 17:46
FYH makes a lot of good products like Veganaise (which NO ONE can compete with; I can’t believe I used Nayonaise for years) and their Sour Cream, but they’re way behind in the cheese department.
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Screwdriver July 29th, 2010 at 18:04
@Aaron
Not trying to shoot the letter down, just saying that just because you get a pizza place to carry vegan cheese, without making sure the establishment knows what vegan really means….means getting a real vegan pizza will still be a crap shoot.
Just Google, Pizza dough with eggs…..many many people use egg yolks for a softer crust, egg whites for a firmer one.
Just ask you pizza place that you will be dropping off the letter what they use in their dough. Also, the place down the street from me sweats the garlic and onions for their tomato sauce in olive oil and butter.
just sayin.
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Love your pizza campaign! There are 2 pizzerias (Night Flight + Mama’s) in Omaha, Nebraska serving Daiya cheese and soy meats on their pizzas, along with their regular meat and dairy options. If Nebraska can do it, so can EVERY other state!!!
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http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38474741/ns/today-foodwine/?GT1=43001
Chelsea Clinton to have a vegan/gluten-free menu at her wedding…thought you might like the article!
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I also think this vegan pizza campaign is a fantastic idea. Just wanted to give a shout-out to Peace o’ Pie, my fave vegan pizzeria here in my hometown of Boston. They use Daiya cheese and make the most delectable pizzas you’ve ever tasted. They’re a lifesaver!!
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Cupcake July 30th, 2010 at 13:01
Thank you for putting this together! And especially for the word copy of the letter. I think the idea of adding statements related to how beneficial this is not only for vegans but for those who are not able to consume dairy because of an allergy and those who are simply trying to be more health conscious and want more options. Amici’s pizzeria (bay area locations in California only I believe) now offers Daiya as an option on all of their pizza’s free of charge! It is delicious. I plan on bringing this letter to all of the Round Table joints in my area.
Leah: I was so stoked to hear about Chelsea’s vegan wedding menu, until I read this article: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/chelsea-clintons-big-fat-vegan-wedding
Although she is vegan she is offering beef on the menu. Absurd.
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Terrible idea. I am so very much with Screwdriver on this one. You have a slew of places calling something vegetarian even though it has chicken stock in it, do you really think that Bubba’s Pizza is going to know that Casein and Whey aren’t vegan? They’ll think, at most, vegan just means no dairy. Besides that fact, this letter comes across as a sales pitch for Daiya and Teese, not a well intentioned pitch for us vegans. Most restaurant owners will think it’s a solicitation more than increasing their client base. If we’re spreading the gospel about animal free living, this is not the way to do it.
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robin July 30th, 2010 at 15:33
This is an awesome cause, but just to give you an idea of some of the back lash I got in Chicago when I suggested including Daiya pizza:
http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-pizza-owners–get-awn-this-serious-vegan-revolution
As you can see, people associate “vegan” with “enemy” so we got our work cut out for us! don’t give up!
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Heather July 30th, 2010 at 17:47
Inspired by this post, I sent Mellow Mushroom an email and got this response:
Hi Heather,
Thanks for your interest in Mellow Mushroom! Our dough and red sauce are both vegan, as well as many other menu items that can be made to order for you. Please be sure to ask your server about the vegan items offered at your Mellow as they will be happy to prepare your meal as you would like! Also, all Mellow Mushrooms now offer Dayia vegan cheese.Stay Mellow,
Kaylee Keen
http://www.mellowmushroom.comWhoo! My email didn’t really do it, but at least now I know.
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Gauri Radha July 30th, 2010 at 22:54
“Love your pizza campaign! There are 2 pizzerias (Night Flight + Mama’s) in Omaha, Nebraska serving Daiya cheese and soy meats on their pizzas, along with their regular meat and dairy options. If Nebraska can do it, so can EVERY other state!!!”
Wow that’s pretty cool! I’m Los Angeles born and raised and I don’t travel out of my hometown too often. Great to know if I end up in Nebraska for some reason though, that there’s a possibility of vegan pizza! Who would’ve thought.
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pandoraxsage July 31st, 2010 at 00:31
@spotted_one
“Why would a restaurant add eggs to their dough just because people are requesting vegan cheese?!”
That’s not what Screwdriver meant. The point is that even if they add vegan cheese to the menu, they might *continue* to use egg in the dough, not realizing that this makes the pizza not vegan. We just have to fully educate dining establishments.
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Tiffany July 31st, 2010 at 01:34
Shouldn’t their be more of a focus to bring healthy vegan options to restaurants, let’s say oh like fresh vegetables and legumes rather than making vegan junk food more common?
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While you are at it – could you also put in the letter having separate pizza cutters for vegan versus meat pizzas! I do not like the idea of meat juices touching my pizza!
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Real pizza dough does not have eggs in it, the only pizza dough that has eggs are deep dish pizzas. Thin crust and flat bread pizzas have no eggs what so ever! Pizza dough is water, flour, and yeast.
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Damon July 31st, 2010 at 06:41
uninformed folks still think “vegan” is some hippie cult thing – a better approach for any pizzeria (national chain or mom-and-pop) would entail campaigning for a lactose intolerant customer cheese option… simple and to the point without having to explain and educate regarding the v-word. appeal to their wallets, they’re missing out on the 30-50 million americans that can’t eat their product
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Shely July 31st, 2010 at 13:34
The problem with asking for only a lactose-free option is all of the lactose free cheese out there with casein (milk protein). Most of the soy cheeses in supermarkets contain casein so they are not vegan safe. If we do more to inform people what vegan is and how that would include the lactose-intolerant market as well, it will be something restaraunts will begin to think about when designing their menus.
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blue7932 August 12th, 2010 at 17:18
I’m in shock (in a good way). Unique Pizza in West Covina (yes, WEST COVINA) has a big sign in the window: “Now serving vegan pizza”. I have not tried it yet, but I stopped in and picked up a menu. The pizza is made with Daiya and they also have vegan sausage as a topping option. In WEST COVINA. Granted, it’s right next door to One World Vegetarian, so it’s really smart of them to pick off those customers, but it’s still pretty shocking. This is as much of a classic beer-and-a-football-game type of old-school pizzeria as I’ve ever seen. Vegan pizza? Wow.
Screwdriver July 29th, 2010 at 06:47