Closing time
Have you noticed the Just Falafel fast food outlets have been shutting down in London.
The picture above shows the locked store front in Fulham and I noticed the outlet near Shaftesbury Avenue closed months back. It seems plans for expansion of the vegan-friendly food providers have hit a serious road block in the UK, even moving backward.
In contrast, the parent company is pushing ahead with rebranding and expansion in Australia. Just Falafel stores are planned for railway stations in capital cities down under, with the first one launched last year in Sydney’s Central Station.
This news article reports plans to open 160 Just Falafel locations across North America within five years. That’s a lot of falafel!
It seems the UK’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain.
Do you have a Just Falafel outlet near you? What do you think of the vegan offerings?
The one in Romford was constantly closed for weeks at a time due to ‘technical problems’ so it doesn’t surprise me too much. Their wraps were allright but not mind blowing amazing either.
Maybe the economic situation in the UK has a lot to do with this, Specialist places just can’t compete because they have to charge more for their wares. I doubt other parts of the world are experiencing the same problems. I think veganism is growing in the UK, though.
I have never eaten at Just Falafel, but if, as Richard says, it was just “alright” then it’s not a blow to veganism but a blow to mediocracy. There is no shortage of excellent falafel in London and maybe Just Falafel wasn’t up to scratch. I’m much peeved and slightly baffled by the shortage of high end vegan restaurants in London that really raise the bar for plant-based meals out (still mourning the closure of Saf in Shoreditch).