By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

On October 5, Toppers locations systemwide introduced the following new vegan offerings to their menu:

• Buffalo Chicken-less Topper (with Buffalo sauce, vegan chicken and mozzarella, green onions and vegan ranch)
• Korean BBQ Chicken-less Topper (with Korean barbecue sauce, vegan chicken and mozzarella, onions and peppers)
• Tuscano Topper (with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, spinach, tomatoes and green olives).

The Banner recently spoke with Mac Malchow, the Director of Menu Innovation, about the move into the vegan menu. Although acknowledging that in the U.S. only about 2% of the population follows a vegan diet, Mr. Malchow indicated that he believes adherence to the diet is probably higher in many of the company’s locations, most of which are in medium to large sized cities, including a number of college towns. Vegans consume no food that comes from animals, including meat, eggs, and dairy products. Malchow indicated that the new pizzas, featuring dairy-free mozzarella, should also be attractive to people who are lactose intolerant, or to those who wish to occasionally reduce their meat consumption. “Being from the dairy state, we definitely embrace our cheese,” he quickly clarified, but over the years the company has heard from many would-be customers who are vegan, vegetarian or lactose intolerant who have very limited options to meet their dietary/lifestyle needs in the pickup and delivery restaurant space. The response on the introductory day of the new menu was “awesome,” with customers trying as early as 7 a.m. to place orders for later in the day.

Chef Melanie Manuel, owner of the vegan-friendly Celesta Restaurant in Milwaukee, helped create the menu that was tested in Madison this past July. Ms. Manuel earned a certification in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University, and she says that she believes “plant-based cuisine is the future.” Ms. Manuel’s restaurant is just down the street from a Toppers, and she’s a new customer now that the vegan options are available.

Two of the vegan pizzas are described as “chicken-less,” featuring a plant based “crispy chicken” product from Gardein, which Toppers figured out how to prep appropriately to use as a topping. The third offering, “Tuscano,” features garlic roasted tomatoes and spinach, but has no plant-based protein.

Malchow concluded, “We had to roll something out for people just looking for more fun options in pizza. For those who want dairy on their pizza, we have the perfect option: Wisconsin Curds ‘n Bacon, and, besides, we have a side of Leinie’s beer battered cheese curds.”

Toppers’ International Headquarters is located in Whitewater, alongside one of their 65 stores, about half of which are in WI. The company name is intended to convey its reputation for numerous and unusual pizza toppings. The brand is experiencing record-breaking year-over-year sales, over 25%, influenced by pandemic-era preference for delivery and curbside pickup. Do they have any locations outside the U.S.? Well, no, and actually they currently have no plans to expand internationally, but it sounds good.