GoodDO: India’s First Vegan Restaurant Chain Makes Plant-Based Food Affordable & Accessible

An offshoot of India’s first plant-based chicken brand Good Dot, GoodDO is a vegan chain eatery that operates across 3 different Indian cities and is set to open more outlets in the coming months. With a mission to promote healthier, cruelty-free and more planet-friendly dietary choices in the country, GoodDo provides veganised versions of traditional favourites in Indian cuisine and international fast food fare. While the unsustainable nature of industrial livestock farming has been well-documented by scientists for a long time, it has received more attention from mass consumers in recent years, which is driving the demand for accessible plant-based options in India and globally. 

Vegan kiosk chain GoodDO was founded by the same team behind plant-based startup Good Dot in 2018, the first India-based company to develop a vegan chicken alternative. The core mission of GoodDO is to popularise veganism by serving a range of dishes made from Good Dot’s mock meats. The chain seeks to cater to both local appetites as well as those looking for a more casual fast food bite. Alongside run-of-the-mill dishes that feature in Indian cuisine, such as veganised chicken tikkas, curry bowls and biryani, other menu items include their trademark “Gurbers”, which are loaded with mock chicken crispies or a veg-mince patty. 

The founders of the Good Dot launched India’s first vegan chicken analogue in 2016 due to concerns about health, animal welfare and the impact industrial livestock agriculture leaves on our planet. On their retail line is their chicken strip-like Veg Bytz, a high-protein mock chicken dubbed Proteiz and their classic ready-to-cook product Vegicken. All their products are created from a mix of plant protein ingredients, such as soya, pea and wheat protein. 

When GoodDO first rolled out, it served its menu of veganised and cruelty-free Indian and international classic dishes through trucks and kiosks. It has since expanded to operate 7 outlets across 3 different cities in the country – Udaipur, Jaipur and Mumbai – and are looking to roll out 5 more locations soon. 

The company’s expansion across India is notable, given that the country’s typically vegetarian population taken a dip since modernisation and rapid development, particularly in urban cities. But as more consumers are realising the health, environmental and ethical impact of meat consumption, omnivore diners are more open to embracing the plant-based trend.

According to a report published earlier this year in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Indian and Chinese consumers exhibited higher level of acceptance and interest in plant-based and clean meat alternatives than their American counterparts. Perhaps another reason for GoodDo’s success is its affordability- dishes range between INR Rupees 39 and 149 (around US$ 0.55 to 2.10).

Lead image courtesy of GoodDO.