Name my vegan carnival food business
August 21, 2015 10:31 PM Subscribe
We're launching a food business/truck/cart/booth that'll serve vegan versions of standard American carnival food (hot dogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, mini doughnuts, malts, etc.). It'll be in the context of other regular (i.e. non-vegan) carnival food vendors, serving a largely omnivorous crowd. But we can't come up with a name. We'd like the name to be relevant to our offerings, but we're finding it difficult to make any reference without it sounding potentially judgmental or self-righteous. Any ideas?
Maybe call it "Poor Hunters" in reference to that old joke about the original meaning of the word Vegetarian (Vegan). Or maybe that's too obscure...
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:47 PM on August 21, 2015
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:47 PM on August 21, 2015
EXTRA-VEGAN-ZA
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:55 PM on August 21, 2015 [21 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:55 PM on August 21, 2015 [21 favorites]
Fair Food
posted by Mizu at 11:03 PM on August 21, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 11:03 PM on August 21, 2015 [8 favorites]
Cart'n o' Vegan
posted by Klaxon Aoooogah at 11:08 PM on August 21, 2015
posted by Klaxon Aoooogah at 11:08 PM on August 21, 2015
Hail Seitan?
posted by spinifex23 at 11:11 PM on August 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by spinifex23 at 11:11 PM on August 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Vegan Carnival Food
posted by aniola at 11:16 PM on August 21, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by aniola at 11:16 PM on August 21, 2015 [9 favorites]
Homegrown Carnival Treats
(I swear don't get too fancy/witty or you'll lose half your potential customers, save the 'ALL VEGAN' for smaller type size)
posted by artdrectr at 11:23 PM on August 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
(I swear don't get too fancy/witty or you'll lose half your potential customers, save the 'ALL VEGAN' for smaller type size)
posted by artdrectr at 11:23 PM on August 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
American Vegan
posted by bluedaisy at 12:23 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 12:23 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eric's Vegan Food Truck
posted by bluedaisy at 12:25 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bluedaisy at 12:25 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Vegan Food Here"
posted by amtho at 12:54 AM on August 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by amtho at 12:54 AM on August 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
I suggested that name because, if you're actually selling food from a booth at a carnival/fair, vegan clients aren't going to have the luxury of time to research the restaurants ahead of time. Joe Vegan is there, hungry, scanning the booth signs -- mostly from a distance -- and he's going to know that Noodletopia and Health-o-Matic, while trying to market themselves as slightly healthier, are unlikely to have what he needs. He's probably come to the fair planning to either leave when he gets hungry, or to get a fruit cup and a slice of bread somewhere, maybe with some peanuts. He has no idea you as a restaurant exist.
Then, off in the distance, he sees a large sign: "Vegan Food Here". And he goes and gets some.
Also - it sells itself in restaurant listings, it's not judgmental, and it might call to the curious and more open-minded carnivore crowd.
posted by amtho at 1:00 AM on August 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
Then, off in the distance, he sees a large sign: "Vegan Food Here". And he goes and gets some.
Also - it sells itself in restaurant listings, it's not judgmental, and it might call to the curious and more open-minded carnivore crowd.
posted by amtho at 1:00 AM on August 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
If it's vegan versions of food that normally has meat, how about The Deceivin' Vegan? And then maybe the sub-title or tagline can be "plant-based carnival food." I just came up with that and I'm pretty proud of myself. Haha.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:23 AM on August 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:23 AM on August 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
Vegan Treats
posted by Rob Rockets at 2:41 AM on August 22, 2015
posted by Rob Rockets at 2:41 AM on August 22, 2015
The Plant Stand
The Veg Van
The Gatherer's Spot
Veg's All-American Diner
The Veg Out Dive In
Vegan Carvery Cart
The Vegetable Kingdom
The Leeky Cart
Endive In
Samphire Grill
On the Turnip Truck
posted by iamkimiam at 3:16 AM on August 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Veg Van
The Gatherer's Spot
Veg's All-American Diner
The Veg Out Dive In
Vegan Carvery Cart
The Vegetable Kingdom
The Leeky Cart
Endive In
Samphire Grill
On the Turnip Truck
posted by iamkimiam at 3:16 AM on August 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, you might want to check this out: Food Truck Name Ideas (@kottke via @mathowie).
posted by iamkimiam at 4:14 AM on August 22, 2015
posted by iamkimiam at 4:14 AM on August 22, 2015
Fair Enough
Meatless Midway
Meet Me Midway
The Fun House
posted by greenskpr at 5:45 AM on August 22, 2015
Meatless Midway
Meet Me Midway
The Fun House
posted by greenskpr at 5:45 AM on August 22, 2015
Veeg-topia or Vege-topia
posted by funfunfun at 6:05 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by funfunfun at 6:05 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Can I just vote against all the ones involving 'fair'? I get that it's a play on the fair that you're at, but it reads as super judgy to this omnivore. Like the other food is unfair.
Herbival, FTW.
posted by youcancallmeal at 6:30 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Herbival, FTW.
posted by youcancallmeal at 6:30 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Depends on what font you're using on your signs, but if you're using old-timey carnival font, all-caps looks great, so "ZOMG VEGAN" would be great and easily identify you. You're not really competing with the other vendors or trying to fool any customers, so put vegan in your branding.
posted by juniperesque at 6:53 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by juniperesque at 6:53 AM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Meatless Wonder
posted by Quisp Lover at 7:48 AM on August 22, 2015
posted by Quisp Lover at 7:48 AM on August 22, 2015
Veggie Carousel
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:28 AM on August 22, 2015
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:28 AM on August 22, 2015
Big Top Vegan is my personal favourite. It's short, it's direct and BigTopVegan.com appears to be available (and you'll want a domain even if you don't use it immediately just to make sure no competitors or others take it).
Or consider Vegan Chow or Vegan Eats or Vegan Truck (haven't checked the URLs for those). In Stockholm, the Strömmingvägn (or Herring Wagon) has been popular for ages. (BTW, the sign says Newly Fried Herring but the place is called the Herring Wagon, no kidding.)
I'm with amtho. You don't want cute. I presume y'all have done market research and know that people will want this. So don't make your (likely tired, hungry, overwhelmed) potential customers have to parse anything. Make it obvious. You've got what nobody else has: vegan food. So play that the hell up.
There's a food truck thing locally every Wednesday night and my vegan friends would be thrilled with a vegan truck because now they have to go to every damn truck to see what, if anything, on each menu is vegan. Good luck!
posted by Bella Donna at 3:20 PM on August 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
Or consider Vegan Chow or Vegan Eats or Vegan Truck (haven't checked the URLs for those). In Stockholm, the Strömmingvägn (or Herring Wagon) has been popular for ages. (BTW, the sign says Newly Fried Herring but the place is called the Herring Wagon, no kidding.)
I'm with amtho. You don't want cute. I presume y'all have done market research and know that people will want this. So don't make your (likely tired, hungry, overwhelmed) potential customers have to parse anything. Make it obvious. You've got what nobody else has: vegan food. So play that the hell up.
There's a food truck thing locally every Wednesday night and my vegan friends would be thrilled with a vegan truck because now they have to go to every damn truck to see what, if anything, on each menu is vegan. Good luck!
posted by Bella Donna at 3:20 PM on August 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
As a vegetarian (and former vegan), let me say that the name matters very little. What matters is that the name incorporates the word VEGAN in big letters so that we can pick it out from the crowd. I would not go with anything too clever and highly support the idea of a name like "Eric's VEGAN Carnival Food."
posted by 256 at 4:17 PM on August 22, 2015
posted by 256 at 4:17 PM on August 22, 2015
Vegan-A-Go-Go
posted by Mchelly at 6:53 PM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 6:53 PM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nthing everyone who says make it very obvious that you're selling vegan food. As a vegetarian in a carnivore-heavy city, I truly appreciate knowing that a place reliably has something I can eat.
Of all the names suggested so far, I love Big Top Vegan or American Vegan. Simple and to-the-point.
posted by Tamanna at 10:11 PM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Of all the names suggested so far, I love Big Top Vegan or American Vegan. Simple and to-the-point.
posted by Tamanna at 10:11 PM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Vegan Wagon
I also really like Big Top Vegan
posted by Majorita at 9:48 AM on August 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I also really like Big Top Vegan
posted by Majorita at 9:48 AM on August 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
(Not for carni-vores, but for herbi-vores)
posted by birdsquared at 10:45 PM on August 21, 2015 [6 favorites]