HappyCow

HappyCow is an online service that lists sources of vegan, vegetarian and healthy food. Access is free to users, who can also provide content. From the original restaurant listings and reviews, HappyCow has expanded to feature information on recipes, travel, health, and other topics.[1]

HappyCow
MottoThe Healthy Eating Guide
FormationNovember 1999 (1999-11)
FounderEric Brent
Location
ProductsRestaurant guide, Travel guides, Recipes
MethodsWebsite, Mobile Apps
FieldsVegetarianism, Veganism
Websitewww.happycow.net

Background and content

HappyCow was founded in 1999 to create a world guide to vegetarian and vegan restaurants. That objective has since been refined to be to assist, "people everywhere to find vegan, vegetarian, and healthy food".[2][3][4] User access is free to encourage crowd-sourced content provision. The number of listings has expanded to over 50,000 businesses in over 175 countries around the world. Reviews of these listings number over 150,000. Restaurants remain the core listings group and are categorised as either, vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly. The initial definition for veg-friendly was based on a minimum menu content being at least 60% vegetarian. This has since been modified into a more flexible set of guidelines based on the alternative availability of vegan food in the area. HappyCow's orientation in general has gravitated over time to be increasingly pro-vegan.

Other listings additionally include health food shops, juice bars, vegan friendly accommodation, social and activity groups, catering operations and other entities with consideration for animal compassion. Subscription for a free newsletter is available. The website has well established forum and blog sections allowing users to publish relevant material.[5]

The HappyCow YouTube channel was launched in 2012. Features have covered numerous vegan and vegetarian events worldwide, and included interviews.

Financing

Income generated is recycled into the running of the operation. Early sources of website funding were advertisement, business sponsorship, and user contributions. The worldwide trend to mobile computing has allowed a revenue stream of sales of native IOS and Android apps.[6] In 2014 The HappyCow Cookbook: Recipes from Top-Rated Vegan Restaurants around the World was published for sale.

Honours and awards
  • Winner of eleven consecutive VegNews' Veggieawards as "Favorite Website" (most recently in 2017)[7]
  • Top 50 vegetarian blogs 2012, awarded by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating[8]
  • Top 100 vegetarian food websites, awarded by web100.com[9]

References
  1. Crunchbase report (Oct. 2020)
  2. "Find Vegan Food Anywhere With HappyCow". peta2.com. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  3. "Can you maintain a vegan diet while traveling? Yes, but it will take some strategizing". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  4. "Spain gets taste for greens as vegans, vegetarians and vegivores flourish". The Guardian. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  5. "The food apps helping you eat smarter and more sustainably". The Week Portfolio.
  6. "App Smart Extra: Restricted Diets". New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  7. "Winners of the 2017 Veggie Awards". VegNews. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. "Top 50 Vegetarian Blogs". Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
  9. "Top 100 vegetarian food websites". web100.com. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
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