America’s first meat-free fast-food restaurant is getting ready to expand

It’s been two years since Amy’s Drive Thru opened in Rohnert Park, California. The organic, vegetarian fast food restaurant has held its own against other greasy fast food joints in the area—in fact, it’s been so successful that the owners are planning a new location in 2018, and potentially five more Northern California locations to follow. The restaurant prioritizes sustainability and quality, and pays its employees above minimum wage with benefits. Read more at Fast Company…

How to sell without selling out and buy without burying the brand

When New Chapter was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2012, some wondered if it would retain its unwavering commitment to organic and non-GMO ingredients. Sarah Newmark, the company’s director of sustainability, says the acquisition “changed a lot about the identity of people working here" but has sparked a lot of progress for the company. Distribution has grown, and it became a B Corp a year post-acquisition, as a formal declaration of its commitment to remaining true to its core values and mission. She also says the company is “moving full force to figure out how to bring regenerative agriculture techniques into our supply chain.” Read more at Forbes…

Trans fat is (almost) out of your food. Here’s what’s going in

The deadline for food manufacturers to remove partially hydrogenated oils from their products is 2018, but many have already made the move. What are they replacing it with? Non-GMO Omega-9 canola oil from Dow is one option. Both DuPont and Monsanto have also come up with soybean oils that, through genetic modification, contain lower amounts of saturated fat and higher omega-9 fatty acid content. Read more at Bloomberg…

Hot avocado market squeezes consumers

Supply of avocados from Mexico is down about 30 percent from last year, according to USDA numbers, which has pushed average retail prices up to $1.81 per fruit, compared with $1.05 a year ago. Read more at The Packer…

Fancy snacks are having a moment. Venture capital wants in

Mindful snack brands are gaining market share in almost two-thirds of the top 50 packaged food categories, according to a research note from Goldman Sachs and Conde Nast. Early-stage investors have taken note, and many new funds including BIGR were created specifically to bolster better-for-you food brands. Read more at Eater…