More Vegan Options Come to Main Street

Finding a vegan lunch on Main Street can get repetitive.

“The options are very boring,” said Kate St. John, co-director of the Humane League of Maryland.  “Hummus on a bagel or a salad …  there are options, but it gets tiring.”

To make eating on Main Street more accessible to all diets, the League has been working with the to add specialty vegetarian and vegan sandwiches to their menu and, ultimately, to the locations across the country. 

On Saturday from noon to 3 p.m., the group is hosting a vegan sandwich party to bring attention to six new items, three of which are vegan -- entirely animal-product free.

“This is huge news for the vegan and vegetarian world,” St. John said. “If these options do well in this Ellicott City location, then the vegetarian options will go nationwide.”

The Humane League works with restaurants to encourage the addition of vegetarian and vegan options, so when Subway came to town, “we decided to go talk to the owner and see if she’d be up for it since it’s a franchise.” 

Co-owner Tayo Ibraheem was onboard from the beginning. “She’s been awesome,” St. John said. “It took a long time for her to convince headquarters to test it out,” but in the end, the restaurant added six items to the menu.

The new sandwiches have been on the menu for a few days.

The vegetarian sandwiches are a breaded imitation chicken strip; a veggie burger; and a vegetarian sausage patty for breakfast.

The three vegan sandwiches – which contain no animal byproducts – are a bbq riblet sandwich, a black bean burger and a Malibu burger.

“Customers have been asking us for vegan choices, and I’m excited to finally be able to offer these great products,” Ibraheem said. 

“It’s only been a few days and already they’re a huge hit.”