The oil company in on board the plant-based bandwagon

In plant-based road trip news: PTT has announced plans to put alt.Eatery in its roadside gas station complexes.

Thailand’s largest energy company, PTT, has operated plant-based alt.Eatery as a cafe and mini-market in Sukhumvit Soi 51 since mid-May. The outlet’s offerings include snacks, takeaway food and drinks, and plant-based meat alternatives. 

While only one alt.Eatery exists so far, PTT has announced plans to add 10 more outlets every year—which is where the energy giant’s gas station complexes come in. PTT’s network of roadside strip malls already house more than 4,000 eateries, including popular Cafe Amazon coffee shops, and offer the perfect opportunity to expand alt.Eatery and attract more customers to the plant-based lifestyle.

Photo: Courtesy of alt.Eatery/FB

PTT has global operations spanning oil and gas, electricity generation, petrochemicals, and gas stations. However, they’ve been looking to expand into other sectors as a way to break free of their dependence on fossil fuels. The company entered the plant-based meat market last year, partnering with a Thai alternative meat company to set up alt.Eatery.

Because of a high Buddhist population, an increasing number of vegetarians, and growing environmental awareness, young people in Thailand are reducing their meat consumption. The oil company believes that plant-derived meat will perform better in Thailand than other Southeast Asian countries. Other major corporations in the country have made the same bet, with food heavyweights Thai Union Group and Charoen Pokphand Group already joining the plant-based meat club. Subsidiary of Japan’s NH Foods, Thai Nippon Foods, also introduced plant-based sausages in July. 

Photo: Courtesy of alt.Eatery/FB

Photo: Courtesy of alt.Eatery/FB

Some of alt.Eatery’s affordable menu items include lattes, gyoza, vegan chicken nuggets, burgers with plant-based cheese, and donuts.