VEGGIE VISION

is closing because it couldn't have free work anymore.”

Viana's goal? To create transparency and equality around pay, which historically has been based on a hierarchy in the restaurant industry and has created disparities between FOH and BOH workers.

“Our industry proved it was unsustainable because we couldn’t get people coming back [after the pandemic],” Viana says. With this unique model and structure, Viana offers an elevated hospitality experience for both customers and team members.

Though, he admits not every chef has the skillset to play both roles. “There are opportunities for chefs that don’t necessarily want to be guest-facing or aren’t comfortable in pub - will be cooked in an open-fire hearth oven which sits in the middle of the dining room. Guests will start with "Essenciales," a shareable collection of lighter bites and tapas, before delving into a bevy of charred vegetables, fresh seafood, and meat dishes like piri piri chicken, Bitoque, and crispy paellas.

Viana co-owns Lita, Heirloom Kitchen, and Heirloom Kitchen at The St. Laurent with his business and life partner, Neilly Robinson, who acts as managing director. This summer, Viana and his team will open La Otra, an intimate neighborhood cocktail bar located next door to Lita.

To learn more, listen to FSR ’s new podcast, “The Restaurant Innovator,” which featured Viana as its first guest.

More consumers are reducing their meat consumption for health or environmental reasons, even if they don’t identify as a vegetarian or vegan—and restaurant leaders are taking notes. Four times as many foodservice operators plan to add more plantbased meat options to their menus in 2023, according to Datassential, and 60 percent of operators say plant-based meat is a long-term trend. Plantbased foods are now found in 48 percent of restaurants across the U.S., versus 30 percent in 2012.