Heather Mills vows to trump McDonald’s with vegan food

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  "Her ex-husband’s band may have been more popular than Jesus, but can Heather Mills’ vegan enterprise rival McDonald’s? 
  The former Mrs. Paul McCartney seems to think so. Ms. Mills launched her   VBites restaurant in Britain in July 2009, and although the sole eatery   is currently closed for the winter, she told The Daily Express this week she has bold plans to expand the business.

  “In 10 years there will be more VBites restaurants than McDonald’s,” Ms. Mills said. “It’s the future.” 
  Among the items found on the eatery’s meatless menu are $8 “Beef  Soya Burgers,” $12 pizzas made with soy “cheese,” and $11 Greek salads.   Not exactly McDonald’s Extra Value Meal prices. And with only one   partially open restaurant in her portfolio, Ms. Mills has a long way to   go before she can even begin to compete with Ronald. 

  But then, who knows? Maybe Ms. Mills is onto something. With experts at   this week’s Climate Change conference in Cancun warning of impending   food shortages and surging food costs, consumers may not have a choice   but to pay big bucks for things like soy cheese in a decade or two. 
  What do you think? Is veganism really the future?"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/heather-mills-vows-to-trump-mcdonalds-with-vegan-food/article1831584/

[Winsor]

Closed for the winter, my ass. No good-named restaurant would close for a season.

[no picture]

Closed for the winter, my ass. No good-named restaurant would close for a season.

Heather Mills doesn't strike me as the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Sally1230]

She's a cracking nut.

[Winsor]

Oh, look at what I found:

Heather Mills has closed her vegan restaurant.

The former model - who opened VBites in Brighton, South England last year after receiving a £24.3 million divorce settlement from ex-husband Sir Paul McCartney - has shut the doors on the eatery, for a supposed "summer break", but insiders insist the business is in trouble and is unlikely to reopen.

A cafe insider said: "I understand Heather has been hemorrhaging money on VBites for a while now. A six month 'holiday' isn't usual."

Locals have claimed the business was deserted during the busy summer season while Maura Hughes, who lives nearby revealed she heard about the closure from the restaurant's head chef.

She said: "He's not happy about it at all."

Other residents have insisted the venture won't be missed if it shuts down for good.

Truck driver Tom Brown said: "I've never used it and I never would apart from maybe using the loo. I'm not a vegan, it doesn't really interest me and I heard the food was rotten.

"I'll be glad if it changes hand so I can have a proper cup of tea or coffee with real milk instead of the stuff they serve there."

However 42-year-old Heather - who has a six-year-old daughter Beatrice with the Beatles legend - has angrily denied the restaurant is to close.

She tweeted: "VBites had a great summer, the success has brought us many opportunities to become worldwide.

"We are so excited to start our franchise projects and spread the Vegan ethics, training classes, cookery classes now our cafe is in its wintery weather season. Keep updated on VBites.com and thanks for all your continued support. Hx (sic)"

A statement on the restaurant's website said: "We have had a fantastic summer and - like many beach cafes across the country - will be closed over the winter so that we can focus on staff training, recipe development and VBites franchising."

An answering machine message for the restaurant said the venue would reopen in spring, but failed to give an exact date.

http://www.exposay.com/v/40508/heather-mills-closes-restaurant

And I repeat: Closed for the season, MY ASS! Summer break does not include fall and winter.

[Angry Dog]

Perhaps people should consider not writing checks they can't cash

[Jeni]

V Bites never got good reviews from the day it opened.

[Hamster Apocalypse]

With prices like that they aren't going to be able to compete. Even McDonalds salads are probably cheaper than that. 
 
No resturaunt closes for the winter in a big city. The only places that close for a season only get business in say the summer or winter, like resort towns in Maine or ski resorts in Colorado.
 
 
Ms. Mills should probably think more realistically.

[doglady]

With prices like that they aren't going to be able to compete. Even McDonalds salads are probably cheaper than that. 
 
No resturaunt closes for the winter in a big city. The only places that close for a season only get business in say the summer or winter, like resort towns in Maine or ski resorts in Colorado.
 
 
Ms. Mills should probably think more realistically.

This place is in Brighton isn't it?  Hardly a big city.

I think the whole thing is pie in the sky.  It won't go anywhere , I'll be surprised if it even reopens.

Wong location, wrong menu, wrong attitude, wrong owner.

[Jeni]

Wrong location

Brighton is the vegan capital of the UK - the British version of Portland in Oregon, so the location was perfect.
Wrong attitude, wrong owner is what was to blame for its failure.

[Angry Dog]

Still wondering how 11 dollar salads were going to topple MC Donalds. If you want to bring down a big dog like that you simply cannot be a niche eatery

[doglady]

Wrong location

Brighton is the vegan capital of the UK - the British version of Portland in Oregon, so the location was perfect.

Really?  I didn't know that.

[Winsor]

Still wondering how 11 dollar salads were going to topple MC Donalds. If you want to bring down a big dog like that you simply cannot be a niche eatery

Indeed.

By me, there is a restaurant that went through so many changes until they finally realized that they were way overpriced. It's  Greek restaurant and pub and the place would be deserted every night. Good place to be in. . .but who the FUCK would pay $20.00 for an appetizer?! Seriously, there was nothing under $20.00.

[somedude]

Well,this thread was the most amusing thing I've read all day.
Cudos to Heather Mills for that.
But seriously:
How can she seriously believe that overpriced vegan food will ever be what the majority craves when there are Double-Bacon-Cheeseburgers with some extra Bacon available?
Is she really that dumb or is this a typical case of Vegan-Madness?
No offense to present vegans intended, but vegans tend to be delusory about how influential their lifestyle will eventually become.
And maybe Heater Mill should try serving something that actually tastes decent and does not remind potential customers of tastier, cheaper and non-vegan food they could be having while eating whatever her place serves.

[RC]

I live about a mile from this restaurant.  She might actually have closed it for winter, since it is right on the beach and our beach is virtually empty in winter.  A lot of the businesses do close until the beach tourists start to return. 


I didn't know we were the vegan capital, but I am not surprised.  I do not think V-Bites is going to empty MacDonalds though.  There is no shortage of places that serve vegetarians, in fact in some cafes the "v" signs by menu items are specifically for vegans, because the whole menu is vegetarian anyway.  It is quite normal in the UK for places that serve food to have a vegetarian option, vegans  have to deliberately seek a place that caters for them.