It is predicted that 2022 is the year of environmental awareness, and it's the perfect time to revisit our options. Burgreens has been the staple for flexitarian, vegan or vegetarian urban Jakartans and its success story started way back in 2013.

Helga Angelina met her co-founder slash now-husband Max Mandias in Amsterdam for her university studies. Angelina has been an avid vegan since 15 due to her multiple allergies and chronic ailments. Mandias immediately adopted the lifestyle after he met Angelina, mainly due to environmental reasons and health benefits.

After living in the Netherlands for seven years, Mandias found love in cooking and volunteered at a raw food restaurant in his last year. During his work, he saw that visitors gain many health benefits by simply improving the quality of their food intake.

The couple returned to Indonesia with their plant-based recipes, developed in Amsterdam. Mandias coaxed Angelina to start a business, and their days of menu ideation, creation, and setting the standard of service in Mandias' basement started.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Max Mandias (@maxmandias)

It took the couple three years to make the business soar since their first shop launched in Rempoa, Jakarta Selatan, in November 2013. The couple dedicated themselves so much to the project that it created tension between them.

According to an interview with Femina, once, the couple decided to break up, but it was resolved in mere two days. They returned stronger as they improved the way they communicated with each other. Angelina and Mandias eventually tied the knot in November 2017.

Burgreens

If you're a new visitor, you must try Burgreens Tempeh Gomashio, Burgreens Steak and Mighty Mushroom. However, if you're a regular, maybe it's time to start subscribing to Burgreens' affordable meal plans.

The affordable prices come from the fact that Burgreens does not serve 100 percent organic food. Although it is believed that organic is always better, the founders prioritize the whole food principle using natural ingredients.

For example, its burger patties and sausage fillings are made from ingredients such as wheat, mushrooms, all of which are plant-based and processed in such a way that ultimately gives food a delicious taste and does not look like mere vegetables.

"Organic is our second option because people's purchasing power is also a consideration," said Angelina. "After all, organic food costs 2-3 times more than regular food."

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Green Rebel Foods (@greenrebelfoods)

As millennials, Angelina and Mandias are very aware of social and environmental issues, and it shows in their business. As much as 60 percent of Burgreens' food ingredients are sourced directly from local farmers at prices that are more profitable for farmers than buying through intermediaries. 

In terms of workers, mothers from a low social economy without higher education are recruited as kitchen crews for proper wages. The team also provides education in the form of technical training and managerial training to ensure personal growth.

This comes with a regulated ratio that 50 percent of the Burgreens staff must be women to ensure the balance between the number of women and men in the workforce.

Green Rebel and Max's Pizza

Burgreens later introduced its little brother, Green Butcher, in 2020. Renamed Green Rebel after a short while, it is a plant-based food startup that focuses on the unique culinary experience of Indonesian and Southeast Asian cuisines. 

In mere months after its launch, the startup secured collaborations with top culinary brands, such as Starbucks, Pepper Lunch, and Abuba Steak. In early 2021, Green Rebel Foods raised US$2 million (Rp 28.375 billion) in seed funding led by Unovis Asset Management and Teja Ventures.

Max's Pizza followed shortly after in 2012, introducing a variety of plant-based pizzas, from "Meat"-ball Pizza, Margherita Pizza, Rendang Pizza, to the gluten-free Truffle Mushroom Pizza, and Pesto Chick'n Pizza. All these faux meat and vegetable galore are topped with vegan cheese and laid on crispy thin crust.

 

 

 

 

 

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You can also try some feel-good snacks such as Garlic Bites gluten-free balls, truffle potato wedges, and cookies. Wash your palette with vegan boba or the new Happy Cola menu, made from various local herbs to reconstruct the widely known cola drink.

It would be a different experience to enjoy with friends and family without having to worry about health issues. You can enjoy one of these tempting crusts for Rp 38,500 per slice or go for the whole thing for Rp 275,000.