WeWork Cos. is going vegetarian.
The New York-based co-working giant recently notified its global staff that they will no longer be able to expense meals that include meat.
That's according to Bloomberg News, which cited a company memo sent out by WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey.
“New research indicates that avoiding meat is one of the biggest things an individual can do to reduce their personal environmental impact,” McKelvey said. “Even more than switching to a hybrid car.”
McKelvey also confirmed to employees that the meat-free lifestyle would affect WeWork’s “Honesty Market,” a self-serve food and drink kiosk system present across 400 co-working buildings.
The news comes as WeWork launches a retail space where it plans to sell healthy foods. Located at 205 Hudson in Manhattan, it is just the first of many planned "stores" across the country.
The concept, dubbed WeMRKT, consists of products curated by its members for other WeWork members.
Among the offerings are Barnana, a plantain chip company dedicated to eliminating food waste on organic banana farms; Misfit Juicery, which makes cold-pressed juice using less-than-perfect produce that farmers are unable to sell; and Sunniva Super Coffee, an organic brew fortified with whey protein and coconut oil.
WeWork’s desire to help the environment doesn't just include food. The company also unveiled plans to reduce plastic usage, and redistribute waste food from its events to good causes.
Founded in 2010, WeWork is looking to raise funds at a $35 billion valuation. It has a global staff of about 6,000.
WeWork has a network of 260 co-working locations, including the Lord & Taylor flagship store on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue that the company purchased in October 2017. It has plans to convert it into its corporate headquarters.
The co-working company has also recently expanded to offering co-living communities where furnished apartments range in size from single rooms to studios, costing about $3,000 per month.
This article was originally published in the New York Business Journal.
See also:
DraftKings announces sports betting deal with New York casino
What happens when a former Nike and Yeezy creator starts a creative agency
McDonald's and other fast-food chains end no-poach rules in contracts
