Q: Where did the idea for V.G. Burgers come from?
A: I’ve been a vegetarian for more than 18 years. Being a long-term consumer of organic products, I was tired of having to look high and low for quality food. What I wanted to do was offer a healthy choice for people on the go.
I was a professional athlete, so my health was really important to me. I had an accident in 2000 that put me in a wheelchair for six months. That took me out of the snowboarding game. I came back and for two years coached the U.S. Snowboard team to get my feet back under me, and so I could feel like the injury didn’t beat me.
This is an idea that I had been kicking around for about eight years, so I finally decided it was time to put my snowboard away and roll up my sleeves and get to work.
Q: V.G. Burgers’ menu doesn’t mention the words vegan or vegetarian. Why not?
A: I think they scare a lot of people away. Those words tend to exclude, and I’d say about 90 percent of my repeat business comes from non-vegetarians.
I think it’s really exciting for people to come into a fast-food joint and feel OK about their decision. It’s about the overall experience. Our cups are made from corn. The little hamburger box is made from sugar cane. We’re 100 percent wind-
powered, and we’re zero waste. There are no trash cans in here. Everything is either recycled or composted.
Q: Do you think this business concept would have worked five years ago?
A: No. I think five years ago would have been too early and five years from now will be too late. Even right now, it is so difficult for us to find certain organic products, certain foods.
In my opinion, there is very obviously a shift going on worldwide where people are paying a lot more attention to what they’re putting in their bodies.
Organic foods right now are at a 30 percent annual growth rate. This is not just a quick hit-or-miss trend. I’m really happy that we pulled the trigger when we did.
Q: How do you plan to grow V.G. Burgers?
A: We’ve only been open since Nov. 15, and I’ve had nearly 1,000 e-mails and phone calls about how to buy franchises, coming from all over the world. I foresee in the very near future – like the next four months – we’ll open stores in Fort Collins and Denver. Then it’s off to the East Coast and West Coast.
Q: What is the biggest obstacle in expanding V.G. Burgers?
A: We’re really pioneering a whole new way of doing business, which has presented a lot of challenges, especially in terms of manufacturing and distribution. The products that we’re using are very limited on the food service end of things, like ketchup for instance. You can’t buy organic food-service ketchup right now. We have to buy the little tiny bottles, the same as you and I would buy at Wild Oats.
Q: Do you have any desire to be bought out by a larger restaurant chain?
A: I’m absolutely certain that those offers are going to start coming in really soon, but that’s a big gray area for me.
Ultimately I would like to see this country restored to a place where family farms are thriving, more of a sustainable, locally based economy. I would rather buy McDonald’s and give them a face-lift, but we have a long way to go before we get there.
Q: Is the restaurant doing anything special for Earth Day?
A: Oh, man, we have so many events going on this weekend. But every day is Earth Day here – we’re living it. It’s not a once-a-year celebration for us.
Edited for space and clarity from an interview by staff writer Julie Dunn.
