From thegoodintown.it
From kitchen experiments to international success: Matteo Toto shares the story of Flower Burger and how he transformed the vegan burger into an explosion of colours and flavours that's winning over the world
Entering a Flower Burger restaurant, you are greeted by an atmosphere that evokes the culture of the “flower children,” with colourful walls and a psychedelic design. The burgers, made with natural ingredients, feature vibrant colours derived from plant-based extracts: yellow buns with turmeric, purple with black carrot, and the beloved pink thanks to cherry extract.
Since its inception in the heart of Milan in 2015, Flower Burger has reinterpreted the fast food concept, blending it with a healthier approach by offering 100% vegan burgers with bright colours and surprising flavours. After the pandemic lockdown, the chain resumed its expansion, driven by the ambition to spread its message of sustainability and taste worldwide.
Flower Burger is particularly popular among younger generations, serving as an example of how culinary innovation can merge with ethical values and environmental respect.
We discussed this with its founder, Matteo Toto.
The first obvious question for Matteo is this: are you a vegan?
“I have been following a plant-based diet for a few years now. For me, however, the point is not the label, but to show that there is a tasty and accessible alternative for everyone, without exclusions. If more and more people choose to reduce their meat consumption, even without being 100 per cent vegan, that is already a huge step forward. And we want to be part of this revolution, with colour and lightness.”
So was Flower Burger born first, or your veganism?
“I approached the vegan world because of my ex-girlfriend. It was during university times, a few years ago. I was very far from the vegan world back then, while she was rather fundamentalist about various things, I was seriously struggling and sceptical too. But then I told myself: maybe this crazy idea makes sense. Something inside me reacted, and so, little by little, I got closer to this world which led me to create Flower Burger.
“When I opened Flower Burger, however, I did it with the same spirit with which I experienced my own transition: without impositions, without exclusions. As a non-vegan, I experienced first-hand the feeling of being judged for my food choices. That’s why I wanted to create a format based on plant ingredients, but that was inclusive, also open to those who follow an omnivorous diet and want to approach, without pressure, a more sustainable alternative.
There are people who choose veganism for ethical reasons and live it with conviction, without difficulty. Admirable. But others, instead, need to approach it gradually, driven by curiosity, health or simply the pleasure of discovering new flavours. And that’s okay: there isn’t just one path, but a thousand ways to explore this choice. Flower Burger is here for anyone who wants to do it, with taste and without barriers”.
So, do you think this is the key to your success?
“Yes, I believe so. We firmly believe that the pleasure of eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and it’s unthinkable to ask someone to radically change their eating habits overnight. The vegan choice must be made thoughtfully to maintain the right nutrient intake for our body.
The approach to a more plant-based diet can come from curiosity and pleasure, not from obligations or prohibitions. Often, when something is imposed, you get the opposite effect, like a child who is told not to do something and then does it on purpose. That’s why we simply want to show that eating vegan can be tasty, fulfilling and full of satisfaction, this is the path we have chosen to carry our message of sustainability.
The explosion of influencers and digital creators focused on vegan cooking has amply demonstrated the variety and richness that plant-based cuisine can have, with imagination being the only limit. We have chosen to focus on sandwiches, burgers and a beautiful experience in welcoming environments. We don’t want to moralize or tell others what is right or wrong, but simply let them know that we exist, that there is a possible alternative that is good and colourful.”
How does a ‘flower burger’ come into being, also from a taste point of view, i.e. who tastes them, who decides this is good, this is OK, this is not OK, what is the process like?
“We do everything ourselves—bread, burgers, sauces. Now, we even produce our own desserts. Let’s say that one of the things we believe we’re really good at is product innovation. Every two weeks, we experiment with new burgers, new buns, new bread.
Back in 2015, when we started, all the plant-based products and vegan burgers that are now available on the market didn’t exist yet. At the time, I educated myself on the subject by watching hundreds of videos of American, Australian, and African home cooks making their own plant-based burgers in small pans in their kitchens. Little by little, I figured out which ingredient categories worked best for making a burger, how to bind them together, and how to keep them from falling apart. Then, I also studied the fast food and burger industry, and at that point, together with my first chef, we started developing our first recipes, testing them over and over again.
Today, we continue to experiment. As I mentioned earlier, every two weeks, we introduce something new. Our kitchen team develops recipes based on key ingredients or a new protein, runs tests, and then we conduct internal tastings. We also involve the office team and store managers to gather their feedback. And then—we go for it!
Behind every new product, there’s a huge amount of work. In the best cases, we do six or seven tests; when we aim for something truly innovative, it can take up to 25-30 trials. It’s a demanding process, but it’s precisely this ongoing research that allows us to consistently offer something fresh and surprising.”.
Speaking of innovation, how do you see the future of plant-based and cultured meat?
“Today in the market we see different approaches to meat alternatives. On one hand, there are solutions like ours, which use natural ingredients like vegetables, legumes, and spices to create tasty and authentic burgers. On the other hand, increasingly technological alternatives are being developed, such as proteins reconstituted from powders to obtain textures and flavours similar to meat. In parallel, the industry is exploring meat cultivated from stem cells and even the use of 3D printers to replicate muscle fibres.
Cultivated meat is certainly a major revolution on the horizon, but costs and scalability are still open challenges. What is certain is that consumption of farm-raised meat is destined to decrease, and this transition will be driven by consumers. The more demand grows for plant-based alternatives, the more the market will move in that direction.
There is still much work to be done, both in terms of information and cultural change. Meat, for example, is often associated with a concept of tradition and even masculinity, and overcoming certain taboos will take time. But the direction is clear: the future of food will be increasingly varied and sustainable.”.
Last question: how does Flower Burger change the world?
“Flower Burger is not just a vegan fast food, but an experience, a small colourful world where every visit is an opportunity to discover something new. We would like to change the world by bringing our “flowers” – that is, our stores – to every city in Italy and, hopefully, worldwide. What does this really mean? It means creating welcoming spaces, where a meal is not just an act of consumption, but a moment of pleasure, lightness, and discovery. In our environment, made of vibrant colours and a positive atmosphere, we want to give customers a peaceful break, an experience that leaves something inside, like a seed that germinates over time.
Everyone undertakes their own journey and chooses their own path, but we hope that whoever enters Flower Burger leaves with a new awareness: that there are tasty and sustainable alternatives, that food can be joy and not just nourishment, that a small change can make a difference. We don’t want to teach anything with presumption, but simply open a door, offer a moment of beauty. Whether it’s for the taste, the values, or the simple pleasure of coming back, our dream is that those who visit Flower Burger say: “I like this space, this community, I want to be part of it.” Each additional person in our world is the measure of the change we bring”.
https://www.thegoodintown.it/vegan-goes-technicolor-the-flower-burger-phenomenon/
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