In-N-Out Is Being Pressured via Petition to Start Serving Veggie Burgers

When you walk into an In-N-Out Burger, you'll see four food items on the menu: a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a Double-Double, and French fries. And even though its not-at-all secret menu allows customers to go bunless, get their burger "Animal-Style" or have a four-way patty orgy, one of the things missing from both menus is a veggie burger. The Good Food Institute is trying to change that, by stomping its virtual feet and launching an online petition in the hopes that several thousand signatures will be enough to get In-N-Out's attention.

The Washington, DC-based non-profit lists "Promoting Plant-Based Products" as one of its initiatives, and it says that its request for a veggie burger at In-N-Out would benefit "animals, the planet, and public health." On its Change.org petition, the Institute accuses the chain of "letting its fans down" by being a burger restaurant that, you know, just serves burgers. "Burger chains nationwide have been getting huge returns from meat alternatives and In-N-Out could do the same," the petition reads. "Chipotle has vegan sofritas, Whitecastle has veggie sliders–even fast-food kingpin Burger King has the BK Veggie!"

The Institute says that Millennials are leading the "push for plant-based meats," which 1) is my new favourite oxymoron, and 2) why everyone hates Millennials. The petition argues that there needs to be a meat-free option on the In-N-Out menu so this obviously deprived demographic group has something to spend its disposable income on. But there is a meat-free option on the (not-so-secret) menu: a grilled cheese, with or without onions. (It's pretty great, too.)

As of now, more than 23,000 people have signed the petition. If another 2,000 people jump on this burgerless bandwagon, the petition will be delivered to In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder who, hopefully, will skim it and then place it in her meat-free recycle bin. According to KTLA, this isn't the first time In-N-Out has been asked for a veggie burger; four years ago, a different Change.org petition collected more than 16,000 signatures, falling short of its 25,000 signature goal.

So, In-N-Out isn't vegan. It also isn't kosher or halal. It prints Biblical references on its milkshake cups and cheeseburger wrappers. Some diners might ultimately prefer the separation of church and shake, but they can also choose not to eat there if they find it offensive or not inclusive of their beliefs–food or otherwise. MUNCHIES has reached out to both In-N-Out and the Good Food Institute for comment regarding the petition, but has not yet received a response.

Sorry, Millennials, but every restaurant doesn't have to cater to everyone's personal preferences… at least not until some other organisation launches a Change.org petition insisting that they do.