First Vegan Bareburger Hires Ethical Vegan Chef

Chain restaurant Bareburger selected chef Rudy Ramos—known as “Chef Vegicano”—to develop the menu for its first vegan outpost in New York City. In November, Bareburger added the Impossible Burger patty to its 45 locations with the intent to inspire customers to choose plant-based options in favor of animal-derived meat. Jonathan Lemon, culinary director of the burger chain, announced last year that Bareburger would open a plant-based location in the next five months as a step towards what he believes is the future of food. “Taste defeats tradition any day of the week,” Ramos said. “I approach vegan food with no rules, utilizing flavors from all around the world to make delicious eats. I’m excited to be working with Bareburger—they’ve literally given me the reins to come up with something truly exciting.” Ramos—a former musician and self-taught chef who has participated in pop-ups around New York City for several years—has been vegan for 14 years and first started cooking with nonprofit vegan organization Food Not Bombs. “What’s cool is that I’ve been eating vegan options at Bareburger for years,” Ramos said. “Now I’m creating a restaurant with them.”