Melia Robinson/Business Insider
Steve Heeley, CEO of the healthy fast-casual chain Veggie Grill, is betting he can make vegan food not just palatable, but "craveable."
Founded in 2007, $4 serves burgers, sandwiches, and salads that have fewer calories than traditional fast-food - and happen to be vegan. The chain takes familiar foods, like buffalo wings and Caesar salad, and swaps out ingredients with plant-based substitutes.
"There are certain perceptions around the word 'vegan.' It means you have to deny yourself or eat brown foods," Heeley, a vegan, tells Business Insider. Not so at Veggie Burger.
The company has 28 locations in California, Washington, and Oregon. Thanks to a new $22 million round of funding last fall, Heeley expects the company to double in size by 2020.
We stopped by a Veggie Grill location in San Jose, California, to see if it meets the hype.