Burgers, Bowls, and Beyond: How Veggie Grill Went Next Level

Introduction

Next Level Burger—America’s first 100% vegan burger joint—has evolved into Next Level Veggie Grill, launching the All American Vegan Menu at its Hawthorne location in Portland. With more than 50 new items, including protein-packed entrées, indulgent shareables, fresh salads, tacos, burritos, bowls, and brand-new kids’ meals, the goal was simple: prove that plant-based food can be crave-worthy, comforting, and made for everyone—not just vegans.

The brand wanted to highlight the biggest surprise of all:
“Wait…this is vegan?”

The Opportunity

Plant-based dining often carries stereotypes: too healthy, too niche, or too limited. But the new All American Vegan Menu introduces dishes that feel familiar—melty, crispy, saucy, hearty, and deeply satisfying.

Next Level Veggie Grill wanted to show the world that vegan food can:

• Deliver rich flavor and indulgence
• Offer protein-forward meals that actually hit
• Be fun, comfort-driven, and family-friendly
• Stand toe-to-toe with any classic American comfort spot

The challenge wasn’t just to promote menu items—it was to shift perception of what vegan dining can be.

The Strategy

Relish designed a creator campaign centered on variety, flavor, and shared experience. Creators were invited to dine in with a guest and explore the menu in a way that felt abundant, social, and personal.

Key tactics included:

• Showcasing shareables and texture pulls—fried cheese bites, gooey quesadillas, crispy cauliflower, creamy truffle mac.
• Highlighting the new Protein Plates—especially the new Beyond Steak® Filet and Yo! Egg moments that visually stop the scroll.
• Encouraging multi-dish spreads so viewers could see the true breadth of the menu.
• Capturing both indulgence and nourishment to show NLVG is for flexitarians, families, and food lovers—not just vegans.
• Keeping storytelling joyful and real, focusing on taste-first reactions, not preachy health claims.

The content framework:
Show the food → React honestly → Invite people to try it themselves.

The Results

• 30 creator posts capturing genuine surprise and delight.
• 90,897 total views across Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms.
• 4,787 total engagements, including likes, shares, comments, and saves.
• 5.27% engagement rate
• Creators produced abundant, high-impact visual food content that highlighted menu depth and crave appeal.
• Viewers responded with surprise, curiosity, and comments like:

“Wait…that’s vegan?”
“Okay I need to try this place.”
“This looks better than my usual burger spot.”

The campaign positioned Next Level Veggie Grill as a go-to dining destination in Portland—not a niche vegan alternative.

It reframed plant-based dining as:
Flavor-forward. Family-friendly. Feel-good. And genuinely delicious.

Why It Matters

By focusing on shared food experiences instead of dietary identity, the campaign unlocked something powerful:

People don’t need to be vegan to enjoy vegan food.
They just need to see that it looks fun, craveable, and worth trying.

Next Level Veggie Grill didn’t just promote a new menu.
It reframed what plant-based comfort food can be.

It made people say:
“This is vegan?! I’d eat this any day.”

Ready to build a campaign that changes perception and moves real people into real stores?
Let’s talk. https://tryrelish.com/contact-us