When Nicole Marquis moved home to Philadelphia after college in California, she went from studying theater to educating her dad on the health benefits of a plant-based diet.
At the time, her father was battling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a new diabetes diagnosis. He blamed genetics, she blamed his diet 鈥� so she bought him a blender.
All it took was one green smoothie, 鈥渁nd he was hooked,鈥� said Marquis, now a Philadelphia-based restaurateur.
Within two months of adopting a plant-based diet, Marquis said her dad lost 25 pounds and was able to safely eliminate four of his medications. For a period of time, he also put his Type 2 diabetes in remission.
鈥淚 knew at that moment, I needed to bring this to millions of people everywhere,鈥� Marquis said.
And that鈥檚 exactly what she did with her 鈥渇ast food鈥� concept, . On July 24, Marquis is opening the restaurant鈥檚 seventh location 鈥� and second D.C. outpost 鈥� on Connecticut Avenue NW, just south of Dupont Circle.
The menu at HipCityVeg, which launched in Philadelphia in 2012, is filled with American classics, such as a crispy chicken sandwich with ranch, and a smokehouse burger, topped with a tangy barbecue sauce and crispy onions. There are breakfast sandwiches, salads, shakes, fries 鈥� even nuggets for the kids and kids at heart.
But there鈥檚 one main difference in the food served at HipCityVeg, compared to other bun-sandwich establishments: Everything is plant-based. Organic soy, grains and veggies take the place of beef and chicken; soy ice cream is used for the base of the milkshakes.
Marquis said the burger- and fry-focused menu design was intentional: Serving ingredients that might be new to the masses in a familiar form makes plant-based eating more approachable.
鈥淸Customers] can say, 鈥榊eah, I know what a chicken-ranch sandwich might taste like. They pair that with a green smoothie, and that creates a domino affect in people鈥檚 lives,鈥� said Marquis who sells the same green smoothie at HipCityVeg that first turned her father鈥檚 health around years ago.
鈥淲hen they can eat a plant-based meal and be satisfied 鈥� they start to bring in more of that into their lives and we see that here.鈥�
A published in 2018 in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that two-thirds of American adults surveyed reduced meat consumption in the last three years. Some are cutting back on animal protein for health reasons; others are reducing meat consumption for environmental reasons. According to from the United Nations, cattle-rearing generates more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation.
Marquis said most of the customers that visit HipCityVeg aren鈥檛 vegans: They鈥檙e omnivores who are interested in incorporating more meatless meals in their diet.
鈥淧eople who just want a better option to the burger that they might choose down the road. I think when given the choice, people will choose plant-based foods as long as it tastes good and it鈥檚 convenient,鈥� she said.
鈥淧lant-based is the future.鈥�
D.C.鈥檚 new HipCityVeg location opens July 24 at 1300 Connecticut Ave. NW. The first 100 customers get a free lunch; everyone else gets free fries all day.
