A well-known vegan restaurant chain in California has announced its closure after battling financial difficulties for years. Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery, which has served plant-based cuisine for 14 years, will officially close its doors this Sunday. The owner, Mollie Engelhart, expressed that the restaurant’s closing represents a “sad victory” for the many local vegans who protested against the introduction of meat into the establishment’s menu.
Located in Echo Park and Pasadena, Sage enjoyed a loyal following over the years. However, mounting rent and tax challenges put significant pressure on the establishment. In a bold move to revitalize the business, Engelhart and her husband, co-owner Elias Sosa, even went as far as selling their home to reinvest in their restaurant. Despite their efforts, the restaurant continued to struggle.
In May 2024, in an attempt to attract a broader customer base, Sage began offering meat dishes including bison burgers and cheese, all purportedly sourced from regenerative farming methods aimed at reducing environmental impact. Engelhart believed that this strategy could offer a new approach, merging her passion for agriculture with the restaurant’s offerings.
Unfortunately, this menu shift did not sit well with the establishment’s core clientele. Existing vegan customers responded with outrage, resulting in a wave of one-star reviews that criticized the restaurant’s decision to include meat. One disappointed reviewer stated, “I will never eat here now that they serve meat. I’m sure y’all lost a lot of your vegan base when you added meat. Disgraceful.” Another lamented the loss of Sage’s identity, saying, “You’ve turned on your core roots… in a way that is so disappointing.”
As news of Sage’s upcoming closure spread, some members of the vegan community responded with unexpected satisfaction. On social media, many vegans expressed their delight at the restaurant’s downfall, viewing it as a consequence of straying from its plant-based roots. PETA, an organization dedicated to animal rights, harshly criticized the chain, stating that it had “betrayed animals” with its menu changes.
The reactions highlighted a division within the vegan community. While some expressed sympathy for the loss of a beloved local eatery, others described the closure as “karma” for abandoning the principles that originally endeared Sage to its patrons. Comments ranged from expressions of disappointment to mocking jests about the restaurant’s financial struggles, with one person quipping that “the restaurant will regenerate.”
The closure of Sage, a pioneer in the vegan landscape of California, serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing businesses caught between evolving consumer demands and their foundational beliefs. The reaction from the vegan community underscores how loyalty can quickly turn to discontent when a brand appears to falter or change its inherent identity.
From a broader standpoint, this situation illustrates the complexities businesses face when trying to adapt to economic pressures while attempting to maintain their core values. It raises questions about the balance between growth and authenticity, especially in a society that increasingly champions dietary preferences based on ethical and environmental concerns.
As Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery prepares to close its doors, it leaves behind a mixed legacy: one that includes a vibrant history of plant-based dining in California but also a poignant lesson about the necessity of staying true to one’s roots in the highly competitive restaurant industry.
