Saturday 18 August 2012

Hindu family-run Punjab university asks Subway to sell all vegetarian

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Hindu-family-run-Punjab-universityasks-Subway-to-sell-all-vegetarian/articleshow/15534362.cms

JALANDHAR: Sandwich giant and world's biggest restaurant chain with 37,000 outlets across globe, Subway, is now ready to roll out its first ever all-vegetarian outlet after a private state university in Jalandhar convinced the U.S.-based footlong franchisor on the benefits of vegeterianism.

Jalandhar-based Lovely Professional University, run by a strict Hindu Mittal community, known for promotion of vegetarian meals on the campus inked the deal with Subway in November 2011.

""Our university has always promotes healthy eating for its students. It was a natural fit for Subway to be present here"" Ashok Mittal, Vice Chancellor, LPU told TOI.

The outlet will be operational by mid-August this year.

This will be a marked change in form for the company that has established very popular meat-based subways (a variation sandwich) and has only two vegetarian products in its American and European menus.

""We as a brand are always sensitive to the requirements of the markets. India as a country has a large vegetarian population and right from the beginning we have had separate counters for our vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches. In reviewing the requirements of the university campus and customer demands we have created a all veg menu for our Subway outlet at LPU"" Chetan Arora, development agent, Subway India told TOI.

At present, Subway has 280 outlets in India.

None of them sells beef and all of them have an entirely separate counter serving six vegetarian preparations such as chickpeas, aloo patty, veggi shammi, paneer-based salads and so on.

Faced with thousands of consumers begging for more meatless options and organisations like People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) running Compassion Over Killing campaigns, many restaurant chains including Pizza Hut in Gujarat have turned meatless in the past.

According to United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisaton (FAO) figures from 2007, the most recent figures available, India's per capita meat consumption rates, are still below the average in Asia -- 27 kilograms or 59.5 pounds -- and the rest of the world, which eats 38 kilograms or 83.7 pounds.

""India is considered the birthplace of vegetarianism and about 31% of people in India are vegetarian. When most compassionate people learn about how chickens raised for meat they're eager to learn about a vegan diet"" Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, nutritionist and campaign coordinator, PETA India told TOI, while welcoming the Subway an university's new iniative.

The vegetarian outlet is located in a university campus buy one get on free sale within the first two weeks of opening to announce our presence in the University, said.

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