Buona Beef Teams Up With Chicago Brand To Debut Vegan Sandwich

CHICAGO — Chicago's iconic Italian sandwich chain is settling their beef with vegans.

Buona Beef added a completely vegan sandwich to their menu on Monday and sold out of the new "Italian Beefless" at all 24 of its locations. The sandwich will be available for a limited time through this summer.

The vegetarian and vegan-friendly item is meant to mimic the classic Original Buona Beef sandwich. While Buona's giardiniera, bread and vegetable gravy were already vegan, the company teamed up with Chicago-based Upton's Natural to add a seitan meat replacement that passed the taste test with many Buona family members, according to representatives from Buona Beef.

Seitan is made from washed wheat flour and has been eaten as a meat alternative for centuries.

"When vegans go out to eat they crave the same variety and savory meal options as anyone, just without the meat to go with it," Upton’s Naturals founder Dan Staackmann said in a statement. "There’s so much opportunity to serve the community of people embracing a plant-based diet, which stretches far beyond having a vegan burger on the menu."

Candice Jordan, director of marketing for Buona, said there will be no cross-contamination when packaging or making the new sandwich. Jordan also told the Chicago Sun-Times the sandwich has been in development for years.

"It’s been almost two years of development to bring it to fruition. We went through a lot of flavorings until we got it right and the [Buona] family helped make sure the vegan sandwich was up to their authentic recipe."

The sandwich will retail for $7.99 and comes in the company's standard 7-inch size.