PETA Names Worcester One of the Most Vegetarian- and Vegan-Friendly Cities

Fine Eateries Reflect the Growing Hunger for Meat- and Dairy-Free Dining

For Immediate Release:
July 19, 2010

Contact:
Amanda Fortino 757-622-7382

Worcester, Mass. -- Local restaurants Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant, Nancy Chang, and Loving Hut helped Worcester grab seventh place among small cities in PETA's 2010 survey of the most vegetarian- and vegan-friendly cities in North America.

"Worcester residents should be proud that their hometown is on the cutting edge of healthy cuisine that is Earth- and animal-friendly," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Because factory-farmed animals are subjected to intensive confinement and cruel conditions, more and more people are demanding meat- and dairy-free dining options."

Among the menu standouts at Belmont Vegetarian are the spaghetti and veggie balls, the macaroni and soy cheese, and the barbecue "chicken" and rice. At Nancy Chang, compassionate foodies have their choice of more than 50 vegan menu items, including the Sesame Vegan Chicken, the Mango Vegan Chicken, and the Sizzling Vegan Shrimp With Japanese Teppanyaki Sauce. And after one bite of Loving Hut's Kung Pao Wow--soy chicken, baby corn, carrots, snow peas, bamboo, water chestnuts, onions, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, and cashew nuts--diners will know that they'll be coming back.

Olympia, Wash., took first-place honors among small cites, and Burlington, Vt., came in second. Rounding out the top 10 are Bloomington, Ind.; Boise, Idaho; Iowa City, Iowa; Lincoln, Neb.; Providence, R.I.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Topeka, Kan. The winner among big cities was Washington, D.C.

PETA divided the survey of U.S. and Canadian cities into two categories: cities with a population of 300,000 or more and cities with a population of 300,000 or fewer. For each city, PETA took into account the number of vegetarian restaurants and vegetarian-friendly restaurants per capita and also asked for input from PETA supporters and staff members on the quality of the options. The mayor and tourism bureau of each city that ranked among the top 10 in either category will receive a framed certificate and a letter of congratulations.

For more information, please visit PETA.org <http://www.peta.org/>  or click here <http://blog.peta.org/archives/2010/07/the_most_veg-friendly_cities.php> .