Vegan options such as this were removed from Kauai’s menu after Real Food bought the franchise
You tell people and they look at you incredulously. “Yes,” you repeat, “that’s right, Kauai doesn’t even have a salad that’s vegan.” In fact, they actually took away their vegan options and even removed the little vegan icons that used to dot the menu.
Promoting themselves as a “food revolution”, Kauai seems to have missed the vegan boat. Kauai’s idea of healthy living appears to be eating more chicken. Want a Tropical wrap? Chicken. Spicy Burrito? Chicken. Princess? Chicken. Moroccan? Chicken. Thai Crunch? Chicken. Mexi? Chicken. Kale Cesar? Chicken.
There isn’t a single wrap, salad or warm bowl on the menu that does not have meat in it. How can you not have a single vegan salad?
Other than a bowl of plain fruit there isn’t a single vegan breakfast either, except in some stores you can have smashed avocado on toast.
In fact, Kauai has gone in the opposite direction. When giant Real Foods (Pty) Ltd bought Kauai in 2015 they removed the vegan icons on the menu and also the few vegan options available – such as a Moroccan red lentil soup and the vegan super food salad. They also used to offer Fry’s vegan chicken strips instead of chicken meat.
Now, you are supposed to customise your meal if you are vegan, but guess what – they don’t allow substitutes, so you either get charged the full rate for less food (the most expensive ingredient usually has to be removed to make it vegan) or you have to pay extra to make it a meal, such as asking for more avocado in the Harvest wrap after the feta has been removed. (I have several times at Rondebosch asked for extra avo in the Harvest wrap to replace the feta and they have charged me full price R52 without feta and added on R10 for the extra avo making it R62. I no longer go there.)
The company will no doubt point out that you have the “design your own” option where you can laboriously crack your brain dreaming up your own vegan bowl, wrap or salad. However, there is no tofu or vegan protein option. Vegans presumably must only eat carbs.
The company claims to have “re-looked our entire healthy food ecosystem”, but clearly they have a huge blind spot. The company claims: “We’re aiming to inspire a ‘real food’ revolution in South Africa, where Kauai is the ‘better place’ to be. We make health and healthy eating habits accessible and exciting.”
Without any vegan consciousness this claim rings hollow. It’s almost as if Kauai doesn’t believe in its own company’s philosophy; as if it is scared that in talking up healthy living it might be perceived to be a place only for vegetarians.
But Kauai is missing out. There is the vegan veto. Circles of friends who are food and health conscious and concerned about such things as GMOs, ethics and fair trade – which falls into Kauai’s target market – are highly likely these days to include a vegan or two in their number. So, when friends say, “Let’s grab a bite, how about Kauai?” I say, let’s go somewhere else, and Kauai loses the entire group not just me.
The only time I do go to Kauai is for my free smoothie courtesy of Discovery insurance. Apparently, I’m an excellent driver and I get a free smoothie almost every week at Kauai.
Of course, besides a few simple fruit and veg juices, Kauai only has one vegan protein smoothie – Nature’s Protein, which is all I ever order with my free Discovery wi-code. If they had something for me I’d probably order a wrap or bowl to go with it. The whole idea is to lure me into their store after all. But they don’t have a vegan wrap, bowl or salad, so I take my free smoothie and go and eat somewhere else. Kauai Kloof Street might be interested to know that having just counted my Wi-codes on my phone, I can confirm they have missed out on 41 meals already and counting.
Apparently I’m a good driver. Phone screenshot.
I have not approached Kauai for comment. This blog post will be updated if they take any notice.