National Restaurant Chain Bans Bacon

Washington, DC-based salad chain Sweetgreen recently banned bacon from its menu at 44 locations nationwide. The change is part of the eatery’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign that Sweetgreen intentionally links to the presidential election. The company’s mission statement reads, “Especially in the midst of a presidential election cycle, we need to be talking about the food system and how it’s connected to public health, climate change, and the environment.” Sweetgreen explained that nixing the processed meat from its menu was necessary because “simply put, you can’t be a healthy food business and serve bacon.” The eatery added several new options including a vegan grain bowl featuring Portobello mushrooms. Sriracha is also off the menu due to its high sugar content and will be replaced with dried chilies. Many restaurants have attributed their recent profits to meat-free offerings, while fast-casual chain Pret a Manger recently opened an all-vegetarian restaurant in London to test the market.