PHILADELPHIA -- Wearing nothing but strategically placed lettuce leaves and waving signs that read, "Turn Over a New Leaf—Go Vegetarian," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA's) Lettuce Ladies handed out free Moshe's brand soy-based sandwiches at a Philadelphia 7-Eleven store on Friday. PETA hopes to encourage people to try the meatless sandwiches, which are now being sold at several 7-Elevens in the Philadelphia area.
The meatless sandwiches include mock "chicken," "steak" and "egg" salad varieties.
"Leave it to the City of Brotherly Love to offer its residents [image-nocss] a humane and heart-healthy sandwich," said Lettuce Lady Nicole Matthews. "With so many delicious and convenient meat alternatives available, there's never been a better time to go vegetarian."
At least seven Philadelphia 7-Eleven locations are stocking Moshe's faux-chicken, seitan steak, falafel and tofu egg-salad sandwiches among other vegan items, added a recent report in The Philadelphia Daily News.
Moshe Malka started this business a decade ago and more or less fell into his calling. "I started out in Wyndmoor," he told the newspaper. "I was picked up by a health-food store distributor, so I started making more veggie stuff. Right down the block from me there was a 7-Eleven. I went in there and said, 'Hey, I'm right next to you, making vegetarian sandwiches. Why not put it on your shelf, and if you don't sell it, I'll take it back'."
He added, "It took a couple of weeks for people to realize that these things were there, but then they started selling. The owner eventually sold that store to a Korean guy, and he was even more interested in carrying the line. Even better, he had a brother who owned five other stores, and the word spread. Now 7-Eleven is looking at introducing the product throughout the corporation."
Janice Tancredi, 7-Eleven's Philadelphia market manager, confirmed this game plan. "In May, we'll be expanding the number of locations where you can get Moshe's sandwiches. [The product line] will eventually be in all of them around here," he told the paper.
Malka, who is not a vegetarian himself, is somewhat amused at becoming a veggie icon. "I'm a vegetarian manufacturer, but I eat everything," he said with a laugh. "I just didn't want to deal with meat so much for production—you know, with the sanitation and all. I had enough ideas with vegetables."
Click herefor Moshe's menu.
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