The vegan chain Planta, born in Toronto, Canada, declared bankruptcy and will be closing more than half of their locations: out of 18 restaurants, only 8 remain open.
This highlights the difficulty of scaling plant-based food in the competitive market of “healthy eating” in the United States and Canada. Although the interest in eating better keeps growing among people, the accessibility, especially the price, is still a barrier.
Planta was created with a mission: to transform vegetal cuisine into a “guilt-free indulgence.” But this story shows the real difference between the intention of the consumer and what they actually order on the table. The situation could help explain the failure of healthy products in big brands like McDonald’s, reminding us that real preference usually leans toward the comfort of what we know.
Truth is that plant-based menus still need to find a balance between culinary proposals, prices, and experience to actually get the clients beyond their initial enthusiasm.
What happened? Red numbers and a few places left
Planta reported liabilities between $10 million and $50 million when they declared themselves bankrupt, with nearly no assets. A financial portrait that leaves little rate to work with.
There was a big growth between 2016 and 2023, and then, a massive fall, so they started closing places in May and June 2025, giving a harsh end to a gastronomic proposal that seemed promising. The immediate consequence is more than devastating, from 18 locations to only 8 operating.
In the list of the closed restaurants, we can find: Toronto, Canada (Planta Cocina); Atlanta, Georgia (Planta at Krog Street Market and Planta Queen in Buckhead); Los Ángeles, California (Brentwood Plant); West Palm Beach, Florida; and Miami Beach, Florida.
For a brand that tried to offer plant-based food to all types of public, the intention was there. But the rapid expansion crashed into reality, where people prefer the traditional format when it comes to paying the bill.
The paradox: healthy intention vs. election
The story of Planta could work as a marketing study. On one side they’re still consumers who show interest in healthy eating, who look for big restaurants, and who accept trying their menu. On the other side, when the decision time arrives—and the bill—the comfort of what’s known wins: familiar tastes, cheaper food chains with aggressive prices.
This same case reminds me of phenomena seen in healthy promotions from McDonald’s, where the intention is not always having constant sales, and they become just limited editions.
One of the main dilemmas is price: food menus where the quality of ingredients and the carefully chosen logistics tend to cost more make it more difficult to consolidate volume.
It looked like Planta had found a way. They were this nice and aspirational brand with pretty bars and plates that deserved to be posted on Instagram, but the costs, the rent, and the reaction clients had to the prices ended up putting a lot of pressure.
The lesson is not that plant-based food doesn’t have space; it’s that it’s competing in a difficult industry, so the model demands to be redefined with more accessible prices, flexible menus, and locations where the demand can make it profitable.
What’s the next step for Planta?
The fact that Planta is keeping only 8 restaurants after the bankruptcy doesn’t say the original idea was bad, but desperately ask them to rethink the plan. The mission of making vegetal cuisine a “guilty-free indulgence” needs more than a narrative. It needs a realistic economy, a lighter structural cost, and prices that invite people not only to come but to repeat.
The story reminds us that growing fast doesn’t mean growing well. Hopefully for Planta, with some adjustments, the proposal will be better received.