Flower Burger, a plant-based eatery in Italy, will make its North American debut on May 6, bringing its Instagrammable, colorful burgers to Los Angeles. The vegan-friendly, international concept will launch as a delivery-only ghost kitchen out of Culver City to start, with plans to open their first storefront this summer in West Hollywood. Helmed by LA-based entrepreneur Elena Platt, in collaboration with established restaurateur Barbara Lazaroff, the launch marks Flower Burger’s first North American location since opening their Milan flagship in 2015. The concept boasts more than a dozen locations across Italy, France, London, and the Netherlands.
Flower Burger was founded by Italian entrepreneur Matteo Toto, who identified a gap in the market and sought to offer a more sustainable, plant-based option within the burger space. His mission for the brand was to create an inviting, inclusive experience that aligns plant-based cuisine with fun and enjoyment. This sentiment inspired the menu’s signature, vibrant burger buns and playful, hippy-inspired look and feel throughout the stores. The hippy mood is expressed both in the stores themselves, through psychedelic design elements and graphic motifs that nod to The Beatles’ iconic Yellow Submarine, as well as within the company’s values of inclusivity, spontaneity, and levity. “Opening in LA is a dream come true!” says Toto. “We’re excited to bring the passion and energy of Flower Burger to the US and have plans to expand quickly. We love that LA locals prioritize all the same values that we do, from inclusivity to conscious, sustainable eating.”
The menu offers six plant-based burgers, integrating a variety of all-natural ingredients imported from Italy. The Jungle Burger features an oat and red bean patty along with oven-baked zucchini and a green bun colored with spirulina powder and turmeric. The Classic Chickpea and Spicy Chickpea feature chickpea patties with turmeric-colored yellow buns, and the Tangy Chickpea includes a chickpea patty with a Tartarella Sauce flavored with capers and pickles. The Cherry Bomb features a lentil-based patty with a pink bun, colored with cherry and beetroot extract, and the signature Flower Burger includes a red kidney bean patty and violet bun colored with purple carrot extract.
Flower Burger’s other plant-based ingredients include their proprietary Flower Cheddar, a lactose and dairy-free cheese derived from coconut oil. Sauce highlights include the Flower Mayo, made from 100 percent organic Italian soy milk, the Rocktail (a take on Thousand Island) with ketchup, mustard, and nori, and the Wild Sauce, a plant-based iteration of BBQ sauce.
To enjoy alongside, Flower Burger offers diners a choice of potato wedges, edamame, or Patatas Buenas drizzled with Flower mayo and spicy ketchup. Desserts range from the Coco-nuts, a coconut-based frozen treat layered with espresso, cocoa-roasted almonds and hazelnuts, to the Chocolate Salami, a rolled and sliced confection made from dark chocolate and oat-based biscuits.
Elena Platt decided to venture into the restaurant world when she discovered the vegan-friendly chain in Italy. “I fell in love with Flower Burger when I first tasted one at their location in Rome,” she says. “After meeting Matteo and learning more about their commitment to diverse ingredients that go beyond the typical plant-based offerings, I knew it was something I had to bring home. The past year has been incredibly tough for LA, so we’re excited to launch a brand focused on fun, inclusivity, and sustainability at a time when those are more important than ever.”
Flower Burger will be available to order via delivery platforms including Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, and will accept orders daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
