Chicago based Gino’s East has become the city’s first pizza chain to add a vegan deep dish and thin crust pizza to its menu.

The chain famed for its Chicago-style deep dish pizza has partnered with vegan cheese brand Daiya to launch a vegan cheese dish to customers looking for dairy-free alternatives.

The brand states it chose Daiya because of its commitment towards reducing carbon footprint from its product lines through sustainable practices.

The new vegan cheese formula is made with coconut oil, pea protein, and potato starches, and is not only dairy free, but also free from other common allergens such as nuts, gluten, eggs, and soy.

While the new option is currently featured on the menus of the chain’s downtown Chicago locations; the brand hints on a nationwide roll out to happen soon.

The dairy-free cheese can be ordered with any deep dish or thin crust pizza for an additional $5 to $7, or can be added to other menu offerings such as a salad or sandwich, upon request.

“Our food team has been working around the clock to finally bring a vegan option to our deep-dish and thin-crust lineup,” notes the company’s website.

“We are one of the first major deep-dish pizzerias in Chicago to cut the cheese.” 

For more information and to find a location near you, visit: ginoseast.com/vegan-pizza.

Vegan Pizza demand

While Gino’s East debuts its first vegan pizza in Chicago, other fast food chains have also launched innovative vegan options to tap into the growing market for plant-based foods.

High street food chain  Zizzi added a vegan jackfruit pepperoni pizza to its new autumn menu.

Elsewhere, Pizza giant Domino’s introduced a vegan pizza range in Australia including plant-based Hawaiian, pepperoni, ham and cheese and supreme.

Pizza Hut launched a limited time offer introducing its Garden Speciality Pizza– in one of its Phoenix restaurants in the US- made from meat-free Italian sausages, onions, mushrooms and banana peppers.

In the UK, it added a new Vegan Mushroom pizza which features tomato sauce, Violife Vegan Cheese , topped with closed cup mushrooms and garlic mushrooms.

The mushroom pizza was the fifth Pizza on the Pizza Hut Vegan Menu, joining the Vegan Margherita, Vegan Veggie, Vegan Hot ‘N’ Spicy Veg and Vegan BBQ Jack ‘N’ Cheese.

• Read: Domino’s is about to add a vegan cheese pizza to menus across the UK

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