This Vegan Fast Food Restaurant Is Taking On McDonald’s After Crowdfunding £2M In Hours

Ready Burger, a British plant-based fast food restaurant, has just closed £2 million through a crowdfunding campaign. Smashing its initial £1.5 million target within hours, the funds will be used to expand nationally and internationally. From vegan burgers to chicken-free nuggets, Ready Burger is now gearing up to compete with QSR majors. 

British startup Ready Burger has raised £2 million through a Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign. It exceeded its initial £1.5 million target in just hours of launching and attracted more than 840 investors for 22.47% in equity. With this capital, Ready Burger says it’ll now expand to compete with fast-food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King. 

Taking on McDonald’s

A dramatic expansion for Ready Burger is on the horizon for the brand to compete with fast-food chains. It wants to become the U.K.’s first scalable and 100% plant-based QSR brand. 

“This investment will allow us to continue to drive forward our ambitious expansion plans,” said Max Miller, co-founder and CEO of the firm. “Opening further venues across London, then nationally and eventually internationally, to bring plant-based food to the masses.” 

Some of the items on Ready Burger’s menu include its Big Mac-like signature burger the Big Ready, which sells for £3.59 and it’s classic Ready Burger, available for a very affordable £1.99. There are vegan versions of classic fast food items like chicken burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, crispy “chicken” fillets, and even dairy-free Oreo swirlees. 

“[We] have mastered the science behind the taste and texture of plant-based foods to make them indistinguishable from their conventional counterparts,” shared the CEO. 

Ready Burger’s first location opened in London’s Crouch End in June this year. Another is slated to open on Finchley Road in September. 

Vegan fast food for the masses

The goal of Ready Burger is to compete head-to-head with mainstream fast food. That means not only offering a healthier and sustainable option by virtue of ditching all animal products, but also in terms of cost. 

Costs will continue to improve as our economies of scale begin to grow.

Max Miller, Co-Founder & CEO, Ready Burger

Achieving price parity with fast food is key to making plant-based options accessible to all segments of society, says the company. 

“We are working directly with industry-leading manufacturers to sustainably produce our proteins, allowing us to create products that not only taste outstanding but also give us market acceptable margins on each of our menu items, even at this early stage,” said Miller. “These costs will continue to improve as our economies of scale begin to grow.”

Franchise-ready concept

To rival QSR chains like McDonald’s and Burger King, Ready Burger’s concept is designed to be franchise-ready. The kitchens can produce thousands of items per day from a central distribution centre. Ready Burger is also equipped with web-app ordering, in-store digital kiosks, and delivery. That means diners can get their meals within 30 minutes. 

“From automated stock control and back of house order fulfilment systems to HR and scheduling, we can monitor each store through our portal,” explained the company. “Stock gets automatically distributed to our outlets.”

Miller says this model can “ensure we deliver consistency of service and quality of product at each phase of growth.” 

Opening further venues…to bring plant-based food to the masses.

Max Miller, Co-Founder & CEO, Ready Burger

Plant-based trend

Amid surging interest in plant-based foods, major QSR chains are also launching vegan and vegetarian items. Many of them have chosen to partner with food techs, such as McDonald’s, which recently signed a 3-year deal with Beyond Meat. In Hong Kong, the Golden Arches works with Green Monday, the startup behind OmniPork. 

Burger King has debuted a Plant-Based Whopper on its menus all over the world. It has teamed up with various companies, including The Vegetarian Butcher, v2food, and Impossible Foods. 

All images courtesy of Ready Burger.