London is about to lose one of its most beloved vegan institutions as Unity Diner has announced it will soon be closing its doors. By the time you read this blog post, it might already be gone.
This place wasn’t just a restaurant. It was a beacon of compassionate eating, a sanctuary for plant-based food lovers, and a shining example of what a mission-driven, independently owned vegan business can be. Unity Diner was founded with a purpose beyond profit, to actively support animal rights through phenomenal food.
To the founders, management, and staff I say thank you. Thank you for your dedication, your hard work, and your unwavering belief in a kinder world. Thank you for the atmosphere of warmth and inclusivity that made everyone feel at home.
But this closure is more than just the loss of a great restaurant. It’s part of a worrying trend. Across London, independent vegan businesses are being squeezed out by rising rents, brutal business rates, and an economic climate that punishes small operators. The places built on passion and ethics (the ones keeping animals at the heart of what they do) are struggling to survive. Meanwhile, big corporations with deep pockets swoop in to cash in on the plant-based movement, without the same values at the heart of their operations.
If we want a future where vegan businesses thrive, we need to show up for them. We need to spend our money with the people who truly care about animals, the planet, and their communities. It’s independent vegan businesses that take the risks, push the boundaries, and make plant-based food more exciting and accessible for everyone.
Losing Unity Diner hurts. But let’s honour what they built by doing everything we can to keep the remaining independent vegan businesses alive. Eat at them, shout about them, bring your friends. Because once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Unity Diner, you will be missed.
Extra note: spending money at these businesses isn’t the only part of the solution. We need to fight for the rights of small business owners and restaurants by voting for more compassionate politicians. We need people in power who care about protecting independent traders who keep money in our local communities. Let’s stop voting for people who actively legislate against workers and the working class!
You can watch/stream my weekly podcast Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) on YouTube and Spotify.
Follow me on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, Blue Sky, and X(I know, I know!).
I visit London every year (from Toronto), I always visit the Unity Diner. The wait staff was always very friendly and I never had a dud meal – everything was always wonderful. Their tofish and chips dish was divine, utterly. I will really miss it.
I agree with every word! There seems to be a certain complacency regarding who is providing the food we eat, the clothes we wear etc etc. I am happy as anyone that Tofu Vegan are opening another branch and that it is easy to get hold of vegans products in supermarkets. However I believe that by ignoring the struggles of fully vegan owned ethical businesses we are losing so much that is important.
I am not sure of the way forward here – other than to personally support such businesses both through using them, and spreading the word via social media etc etc. I would not want to actively discourage someone from using any non-vegan business who are making an effort, but prioritising ethical businesses is so important.