Vegan Sandwich Co has grown from strength to strength, from humble beginnings as a market stall to a shop in Smithfield to now a second shop in Stephen's Green Shopping Centre.
While meat eaters definitely make up the majority of Dublin diners, plant based eating is certainly on the rise, whether that's people going fully vegan or those just looking to reduce their intake of animal products.
Vegan Sandwich Co CEO Sam Pearson spoke to Dublin Live about the business' impressive growth in the past two years, and explained that not everyone who orders from Vegan Sandwich Co has to "show their vegan card".
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He told us: "Going from a market stall to this through Covid has been a bit mad.
"Before Covid we were just doing markets and events. Once Covid hit, we launched a delivery business in the summer of 2020.
"That was so busy that we opened our first shop in Smithfield in September 2020 and we now have our second shop in Stephen's Green.
"It was originally me and one part time employee and now it's a business of nearly 25."
Sam revealed that although the demand for Vegan Sandwich Co has been amazing, it's not surprising.
He said: "Before I started this business I was working in town and I was vegan at the time. I found that there was nowhere to go for a nice lunch. I presumed at the time that if I was looking for somewhere like that, then other people were too.
"Both of our shops have demonstrated that people just want to be able to have delicious food without compromise that just happens to be plant based."
Sam also explained that Vegan Sandwich Co's delicious fare isn't just for people who eat a solely vegan diet.
He explained: "We don't force people to show their vegan membership card.
"There are loads of people now who are looking to reduce their meat or dairy consumption for one reason or another, whether it's environmental, animal rights or health reasons. Some people do it one day a week and others every day.
"You can have your chicken fillet roll but you don't have to have the meat version because ours is just as good without any animal products."
Vegan Sandwich Co's wholesale products are also stocked in over 100 stores across Ireland, further proving the popularity in more plant based meal options. Currently on the lookout for investing partners for Vegan Sandwich Co, Sam revealed what the future of the business might look like.
He said: "There is demand right across the city and the country. I have no idea what the next step is for us, but I think we have a really strong brand so there's no reason why we couldn't be on every street corner across the country."
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