Why you should give a cluck about Project Pollo

It may seem like an oxymoron to name a vegan restaurant after the Spanish word for "chicken," but that's exactly what 31-year-old Lucas Bradbury did when he sold his last year to fund the opening of Project Pollo in San Antonio.

Less than a year later, six restaurants are operating throughout the city as well as in Austin, and nine others will debut in Texas by year's end, said Bradbury, who is committed to making plant-based options affordable, accessible and delicious.

But that's not all.

"Our goal is to open 100 stores by 2024. We want to put Chick-fil-A out of business," Bradbury said.

With only 20% of his customers identifying as vegan or vegetarian and the other 80% calling themselves "plant curious," Bradbury is confident that he can move the needle to a more sustainable way of mass consumption.

"The world is looking towards sustainable brands that have an impact on not only our planet but also our community," he said.

"Project Pollo offers more than just amazing chicken, we provide sustainable products, environmentally friendly packaging, above livable wages, and an experience that doesn't sacrifice quality for affordability. We are positioned to change the face of consumption by offering affordable access to plant-based alternatives that do better by the planet, the people and the pollo."

Hatching a plan
Originally envisioned as just one restaurant, Bradbury created Project Pollo after a local brewery approached him about putting a food truck on their site as a way to meet CDC guidelines for reopening during the pandemic. Bradbury saw it as a way to test the market and called the truck's "nearly instantaneous success" the nudge he needed to buy several fast-food buildings left vacant by COVID-19 and begin spreading his wings.

"As we saw unparalleled growth potential, we knew to keep this pace we had to raise some money, so we recently sold a small percentage of the business to two investors, which will allow us to hit our milestones along the way," he said.

Rapid growth aside, the biggest thing that separates Project Pollo from the fast-food flock is the menu. The vegan chicken featured in each recipe, for example, is made specifically for Project Pollo using a non-GMO soy patty and all-natural spices for a flavor that Bradbury said: "tastes so much like the real deal you'll forget it's not chicken." And everything from the Original Project Sandwich to the Loaded Papas is made from scratch, including a recently added plant-based burger.

Pollo with a purpose
Something else to crow about? Everything from the bags to the containers and cups is compostable, something Bradbury thinks should be the norm at all restaurants — vegan or not.

"There shouldn't be a national concept using standard plastic as a choice," he said. "At the end of the day, we are 100% about saving the planet. Saving animals is a happy byproduct of that."

For Bradbury, changing the face of the fast-food industry included upgrading more than the menu — it meant changing the entire model. Providing affordable access to plant-based food and "putting people over profits" is at the heart of Project Pollo, which starts with the employees, all of whom receive double the minimum wage as well as benefits packages.

"At a time when the industry as a whole is having a hard time finding employees, we have people asking to work for us because they know we will take good care of them," Bradbury said.

The "people-first" mantra also extends to the community through the chain's "People Project," where Project Pollo donates two additional sandwiches for the sale of every $5.50 People Project Crispy Strip sandwich. In addition, for those who cannot afford the $5.50 cost, a "pay what you can" option is available.

Bradbury is also passionate about pushing a plant-based lifestyle, saying that it not only saves animals but is about sustainability and environmental responsibility.

"When it comes to chicken, there is a common misconception that the poultry industry isn't as harmful to the environment as cows because they produce less methane," he said. "However, the chicken industry is highly unregulated and produces excessive amounts of waste, causing hazardous runoffs that can pollute our rivers and streams."

Several studies, including this Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, support higher consumption of plant-based foods, citing that the environmental impact is less than that of animal consumption.

"The future is in sustainability, and there is absolutely no way that the fast-food model can continue offering animal protein as the core source of its menu," he says. "The future of consumption in fast food is plant-based," Bradbury said. "Period."