A woman has voiced her shock after being told a restaurant ‘doesn’t cater to vegans. Though veganism still has a bad reputation, the diet has grown in popularity in recent years, and you can’t blame people for wanting to protect animals and the environment.
Yet, given that nearly every restaurant now provides vegan options, TikToker Amie-Beth (@amiebeth125) was taken aback when one restaurant apparently refused to fulfill her request.
The Essex resident revealed in a now-viral video that she and her friend wanted to visit Sheesh for some lunch and a catch-up. But, everything changed when they decided to ring ahead and check.
The TikToker prefaced the video by saying: “I don’t know if I should actually be annoyed at this or if I’m just being a little bit privileged in some way.” She went on to say that her friend had arrived from Dubai and that they wanted to locate a place where they could dress up and have a nice time.
Amie-Beth had been Sheesh a few years before, and despite the lack of plant-based main courses, she had requested a couple of sides such as chips, rice, and hummus. She alleges that at the time, the staff wouldn’t let her since she needed to order a main course.
But, this was a long time ago, and, as previously said, the vegan movement has grown significantly since then. Her friend decided to call the restaurant ahead of time to see whether she may order sides this time.
Amie-Beth’s friend asked: “Basically my friend wants to come, she’s a vegan so there’s nothing on the main menu that she can order. Would it be okay if she just ordered sides? Because she’s been before and that wasn’t allowed?”
But, according to her account, the woman on the end of the phone responded: “We don’t cater to vegans… I don’t even know why a vegan would even want to come to our restaurant anyway.”
The TikToker admitted that Sheesh is ‘fancy’ and has a celebrity clientele, adding: “People don’t just go there for the food – they do genuinely go there for the vibes.”
But she said: “It’s 2023, being a vegan isn’t weird. And we were just asking a question. Fair enough if that’s your policy, but… I just can’t believe that a restaurant that is so well-known would just be so rude.” Hundreds of people have commented on the event, with many feeling that the eatery was out of line.
“Sheesh is very overrated due to celebs going there a lot. I agree,” wrote one. Another said: “If a restaurant doesn’t offer vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free options in 2023 it’s dead! No excuse.” “This is so bizarre,” added a third. “What is the issue with ordering multiple sides instead of a main, I don’t get it.”