Mintel Report: Veg Millennials Are “Biggest Threat to Burger and Chicken Restaurants

A new report titled Burger and Chicken Restaurants — UK — September 2018 from leading market research firm Mintel finds that millennials, who are ditching meat in droves, pose the “biggest threat to burger and chicken restaurants.

The report utilizes data collected from polls taken earlier this year that reveal how millennials are forcing more plant-based foods onto the market by going veg.

Foodservice Analyst Trish Caddy explains:
The biggest threat to the popularity of burger and chicken is the trend of consumers cutting back on eating meat. This is being driven by Younger Millennials who have either adopted a full-time vegan lifestyle or are simply eating more plant-based dishes. Operators now need to tackle this issue by offering consumers more varied choice, including vegan burgers.
Earlier this year, a Forbes article highlighted a report by GlobalData that found a full 70 percent of the human population is either reducing meat consumption or leaving meat off the table altogether. And the generation often mislabeled as self-absorbed and lazy—the one just after Gen X—is spearheading that worldwide dietary change!

Over the past decade, veganism has seen consistent growth as millennials—the world’s largest generation—purchase their own foods. Concerned about the environment, animal welfare, and their own health, this generation boasts more self-identified vegetarians than any other, explains The New York Times.

GlobalData also recently reported that there were six times as many vegans in America in 2017 as in 2014, and Allied Market Research predicts that the meat substitute market will grow 8.4 percent from 2015, potentially reaching $5.2 billion globally by 2020.

What’s more, a survey of 1,000 consumers found a growing shift toward a vegan diet, with 90 percent of vegetarians claiming they wanted to go vegan. And a new report from major market research and consulting firm Coherent Market Insights predicts that the global vegan meat market will surpass $6.5 billion by 2026.

While millennials may be driving the vegan food market, recent studies reveal that Gen Z might be even more into vegan food.

This global shift away from animal products is great news for the countless animals who suffer horribly at factory farms. Cows, pigs, and chickens raised and killed for food are subjected to unthinkable cruelties: tiny, filthy cages; burns and amputations; and merciless slaughter.


It doesn’t matter when you were born; you have the power to stop this heinous cruelty. When you choose a compassionate vegan diet you take a stand for animals, the environment, and your own health. Order your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide today. And check out our Pinterest page with hundreds of vegan recipes!