You Can Now Buy Vegan Italian Beef Sandwiches Nationwide. Here’s Where

Hulu's The Bear gave American viewers a glimpse of a bustling kitchen in the heart of Chicago, putting one of the city's legendary sandwiches in the spotlight: Italian Beef. Since the show's release, searches for the sandwich have almost doubled, according to Google Trends. To help hungry, curious plant-based customers, Chicago-based companies Upton's Naturals and Buona have teamed up to develop the Plant-Based Italian Beef and Gravy for retailers nationwide.

Buona –– the midwestern chain famous for its affordable Italian Beef sandwiches –– developed the plant-based alternative to its signature sandwich with the help of Upton's expertise in the plant-based protein sector. The frozen meal is currently available at Fresh Thyme, Jewel-Osco, and Whole Foods stores for $7.49.

The plant-based beef sandwich features a custom-made gravy that helps replicate the juiciness of traditional Italian Beef sandwiches. Similar to the original Buona family recipe, the sandwich is packed with oregano, garlic, and pepper. The ready-to-eat product is packed with 36 grams of protein per serving.

Buona currently operates 26 locations across Illinois, Indiana, and Colorado, but plans to franchise in the coming years. Preparing for national expansion, the restaurant launched its first plant-based sandwich in 24 years. With the help of Upton's, the company debuted the Plant-Based Italian Beefless Sandwich at all locations. The chain sold out in 24 hours.

“Our plan was to see if people loved the Plant-Based Italian ‘Beef’ as much as we did – and the good news is that they loved it even more than we could have imagined.” Candice Jordan, Buona’s director of marketing, said. “The outstanding support of the vegan community really helped make this a permanent menu item. It has become one of our most popular menu items and that is really great to see.”

Following the outstanding success, Buona announced that it plans to make the beefless sandwich a permanent menu item. The company aims to cater to the growing number of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians in both the Chicago area and the United States.

Buono's beloved meat-heavy menu gave customers no options for heart-healthy meals until it launched its beefless Italian sandwich. Chowing down on an original Italian Beef can increase your risk of heart disease by 18 percent, according to a study from the University of Oxford. Plant protein can even revert some causes of mortality. Another study found that consuming plant-based protein can reduce your risk of several diseases, including heart disease.

“Among major protein sources, comparing the highest with the lowest [amount] of consumption, processed red meat or eggs was associated with a higher risk of all‐cause mortality," the study found. "Unprocessed red meat, eggs, or dairy products, were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.”

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Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.