A Leonardo DiCaprio-Backed Plant-Based UK Burger Chain Debuts a NYC Pop-Up

Located inside the Urbanspace food hall, it’s set to run for the next six months.

Neat Burger
Photo courtesy of Neat Burger
Photo courtesy of Neat Burger
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to fluctuate rapidly and NYC currently is experiencing a rise in infection rates due to Omicron variants. If you’re venturing out, triple-check safety protocols and be safe out there.

Vegan fast food has been trendy in NYC for years now, with restaurants like By Chloe (now Beatnic), Superiority Burger, (and coming soon ATL’s Slutty Vegan) leading the charge. But today, a new contender from the UK is descending on the Big Apple. Plant-based chain Neat Burger has launched its first venture in the U.S. with a NYC pop-up inside the Urbanspace food hall.

Backed by high-profile investors like actor Leonardo DiCaprio and racing champion Lewis Hamilton, Neat Burger is an alternative-protein company that has already made a name for itself, boasting multiple locations in England and winning PETA’s inaugural Company of the Year Award. Their NYC pop-up is the first of many, with plans to expand across the U.S. as well as open a permanent flagship store in the Big Apple.

With a mission to support less meat intake and encourage vegan/flexitarian lifestyles, the plant-based concept features a variety of vegan menu options like the Smash Burger, Chick’n Burger, Neat Dog, and Tater Tots.

Due to its myriad of health benefits, environmental reasons, and an overall increase in quality options available across grocery stores and restaurants—even local award-winning spots like Eleven Madison Park have fully shifted away from serving meat—adopting a plant-based diet continues to grow in popularity. The Good Food Institute reported plant-based food sales grew three times faster than total food sales in 2021, and the 2022 Whole Foods trend report predicted an increase in reducetarian diets.

DiCaprio himself is an avid supporter of the climate change movement, producing multiple environmental documentaries, donating to conservation societies, and even discussing the global issue in his 2016 Oscar speech.

“Every single person can help the planet and reduce climate change with one small choice every week,” DiCaprio has previously tweeted.

Neat Burger’s NYC pop-up will be open to the public for the next six months, with the possibility of extending their lease into 2023.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Kelsey Allen is an editorial assistant at Thrillist.