Amy's Newest Vegan Burrito Is Only Available At Kroger
Amy's Kitchen has just launched an organic, vegan burrito — the Organic Vegan Bean & Cheeze Burrito – although for now, you'll only be able to find this particular item at Kroger stores, according to a press release shared with Mashed. Nonetheless, this news is still AMY-zing for fans of the 33-year-old company's wholesome vegetarian foods made with organic ingredients, especially when, not all that long ago, they had reason to be concerned that their go-to source for wholesome vegetarian food was somehow fading away amid the pandemic.
Despite increasing demand for Amy's products during the pandemic-related lockdown, Amy's Kitchen found itself in the position of having had to cut its line by more than two-thirds in order to keep their employees safe during the height of the pandemic (via Bloomberg). Specifically, even at a time when increased demand meant Amy's was making more meals than ever before, the company, nevertheless, had to make the difficult decision to pause production of any product that required their "employees to stand too closely together" (via Amy's Kitchen).
Here's the big change that has allowed Amy's to introduce their new burrito
"The way we make our food is unique — we don't manufacture, we cook," according to a statement from Amy's Kitchen's founders. "We have real cooks in the kitchen who do the stretching, stirring, and topping for our pizzas, burritos, and entrées." Amy's further stated, "We believe the way we make our food gives it the flavor and quality you expect from us." However, this also requires employees to work side-by-side in the kitchen. So, what has changed?
Amy's employees, like many Americans (via Pew Research), are getting vaccinated. That means that Amy's employees, not to mention whomever they come into contact with, are increasingly protected against COVID-19. It also means that Amy's is now able to introduce the new Organic Vegan Bean & Cheeze Burrito, made from organic pinto beans, brown rice, and cheese (via Kroger) and perfectly wrapped in an organic house-made tortilla. Since this new item is available only at Kroger stores for now, vegan bean and burrito lovers in the 35 states where Kroger currently has locations will get to try it first and let everyone know what they think.