HOT VEGGIE DOGS!  MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STADIUMS STEP UP TO THE PLATE

Berkeley, CA.- April 1, 2008- Atlanta Braves’ Turner Field, New York Mets’ Shea Stadium, and Washington Nationals’ new Nationals Park are joining the ranks of twelve other Major League Baseball stadiums offering vegetarian hot dogs to their fans in 2008.    San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, Milwaukee Brewers’ Miller Park, San Diego Padres’ Petco Park, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dodger Stadium, Seattle Mariners’ Safeco Field, Oakland Athletics’ MacAfee Coliseum, and Chicago White Sox’ U.S. Cellular Field are also offering their veggie dogs in multiple stands throughout their stadiums.  Want vegetarian chilidogs?  MacAfee Coliseum and Shea Stadium will be offering vegetarian chili as an optional topping on their hot dogs, too.  In Philadelphia, the Phillies’ Citizen’s Bank Park is offering a vegetarian version of the philly cheese steak. Fans are soy happy!

In 2000, actress/activist Johanna McCloy attended a Dodger game and found very few vegetarian and healthy menu options, so she contacted the concession manager with statistics on the rise in consumer demand for healthy and vegetarian fare.  McCloy then researched other MLB stadiums and found out that none of them offered the plant based equivalent to hot dogs: veggie dogs!  She outreached to consumer groups and baseball fans all over the country.  The response was overwhelming and celebrities chimed in their endorsements, prompting McCloy to create Soy Happy, a consumer advocacy service promoting and facilitating vegetarian menu options in mainstream eateries.  Soy Happy went to bat at every MLB stadium, offering free consultation on viable menu options as well as liaison services with potential food suppliers.  One by one, veggie dogs were introduced into the starting line up at Major League Baseball stadium concession stands all across America.

Today, baseball fans can find everything from veggie dogs and veggie burgers, to vegetarian sandwiches and burritos, and even those vegetarian philly steaks.  Americans’ increased demand for vegetarian menu items is starting to be reflected by Major League Baseball stadiums, who are ensuring that all baseball fans have the option to nosh on hot veggie dogs...(with chili on top!)   

To celebrate the success of veggie dogs in baseball stadiums, Soy Happy will be hosting a game outing at Shea Stadium on May 31, when the Mets host the Dodgers.  

For more information contact johanna@soyhappy.org