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Veggie Grill's Second Chicago Restaurant Will Open Next Week Downtown

After opening its first Chicago location last month, the country's largest vegetarian chain, Veggie Grill, will open a second restaurant next week. It'll serve the Beyond Burger, veggie Buffalo-style "chicken" tenders, salads, and more starting on Monday, March 19 at 204 W. Lake Street in the Loop. It's the West Coast chain's 30th location, according to a news release.

The chain changes its menu seasonally, and for the opening it'll debut new items including a Nashville-style hot Chickin' sandwich. Veggie Grill, a fast-casual chain that competes for the same vegetarian and vegan customers as Native Foods Cafe, has aggressive expansion plans for Chicago; its first market in the Central Time Zone. The chain wants to continue to expand toward the East Coast. Later this year, Veggie Grill plans on opening two more Chicago locations: one in the West Loop at 911 W. Randolph Street, and another in River North at 629 N. Wells Street.

The Loop location will have seating for 30 inside a 2,300-square-foot space. Before opening its first Chicago location in February in Lakeview, the chain's CEO told Eater Chicago how the city needed more vegetarian options. The Loop location should be a boon for office workers fed up with the same old meat-centric fast-food options.

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