The restaurant looks incredibly similar to the fast-food giant, with the same red and yellow colour scheme, and a logo that looks not unlike the iconic golden arches. But there’s one big difference.
The influencers were astonished by the ‘vegan McDonald’s’ (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A British couple in America were astonished when they stumbled upon a ‘vegan McDonald’s’ – and loved it so much they demanded it comes to the UK. Liam and Janine Day, known as Those Happy Days on social media, regularly share content about their global travels.
They are currently in the USA, and shared a clip about the incredible discovery they made in San Francisco, California. In the TikTok video, Janine is shown pointing at a McDonald’s before turning to point at another business across the road, which looks remarkably similar – with a few notable differences.
Speaking in the video, Liam said: “Something very weird is happening here. That’s a regular McDonald’s, but right across the street is a completely vegan one.”
The video then cuts to inside the restaurant, called Mr Charlie’s. Liam continues: “It looks exactly like a McDonald’s, with red and yellow and fast food screens everywhere, but everything here is plant-based.
“Vegan burgers, vegan chicken nuggets, vegan fries, even a vegan McFlurry. It even feels like the real McDonald’s inside.”
Showing close-ups of the food as he and Janine tuck in, Liam adds: “Can I say that the chicken nuggets were the most life-like I’ve ever had, and the burgers taste just like a McDonald’s burger. In fact, they’re better than McDonald’s burgers.”
Concluding he says: “The UK really needs a Mr. Charlie’s. In fact, every city in the world needs one of these.”
Although Mr. Charlie’s does feature a number of cheeky nods to the fast-food giant in its red and yellow colour scheme, and logo, which looks not unlike a certain iconic golden arches, it is not affiliated with McDonald’s. It currently has four branches in California, with another opening soon, as well as one in Sydney, Australia.
The menu offers a number of plant-based takes on McDonald’s food, with the Mr. Chuck looking very similar to the famous Big Mac, and Mr. FluffHead ice cream featuring the same signature swirl as a McFlurry.
In their video description Liam and Janine wrote: “We genuinely had to do a double take… There’s a real McDonald’s on one side of the road, and a fully vegan version of it on the other. Same red & yellow vibe, same fast-food menu boards… but EVERYTHING is plant-based. And honestly? The nuggets were the most realistic we’ve ever had. Like, scary good.
“The burger tasted just like the classic McDonald’s flavour too. If no one told you, you’d never know.
“UK… we are BEGGING for @mrcharlies to come over and take over the world. Would you try a fully vegan McDonald’s?”
According to vegan business website vegconomist, Mr. Charlie’s opened its first branch in 2022, and quickly became known as the ‘vegan McDonald’s’, with pop megastar Lizzo among those praising the food. Having already expanded to Australia, it reportedly plans to open branches in New Zealand and Singapore, but there is no word so far on whether it will come to the UK.
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