Eleven Madison Park, a pioneering vegan fine-dining restaurant, announced in August 2025 that it would add limited meat and dairy to its menu starting October 2025. The decision, aimed at broadening its customer base, has left aspiring vegan chefs like Letícia Dias and Autumn Henson scrambling for alternatives in a shrinking market. This shift highlights challenges for plant-based haute cuisine amid rising restaurant closures.
In 2021, Eleven Madison Park (EMP) in New York City became the first restaurant to earn three Michelin stars with a fully plant-based menu, inspiring a new generation of vegan cooks. Owner Daniel Humm explained the reversal to The New York Times as a way to attract more guests for financial stability and inclusive hospitality, including optional items like lavender-glazed duck or lobster.
The announcement shocked students at the Institute of Culinary Education's vegetarian and vegan program. Brazilian student Letícia Dias, 31, dined at EMP in August 2025 and was captivated by dishes like corn velouté, prompting her to start an externship application. "I drank that, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. This is insane,’" she recalled. But three days later, she abandoned it, noting, “The options for if you want to do plant-based fine dining are few and far between, and getting fewer.”
Classmate Autumn Henson withdrew their application entirely, with the email subject: “Don’t send in my application to EMP.” They emphasized the need for vegan representation at all levels. In 2025, New York saw at least 20 vegan restaurants close permanently, two temporarily, and others like EMP de-veganize, amid a post-pandemic contraction where plant-based eateries outpaced demand.
Both found spots at abcV, a vegetarian restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Dias learned about seasonal ingredients there before returning to Brazil for family menu consulting. Henson ran the dosa station but later pursued their vegan bakery in California, viewing the externship as one limited path.
This comes as U.S. culinary training shifts; the Institute's program now includes poultry and seafood, leaving Auguste Escoffier in Boulder as the main in-person vegetarian option. Experts like Dan Marek of Rouxbe note closures reflect market saturation, but skills in vegan techniques—seasonality, substitutes, and flavor enhancement—remain vital for sustainable cuisine's spread.
