Touchdown! Tampa Eatery Wins PETA Kudos for Vegan Wings

As the Buccaneers prepare to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, PETA has scoured the country for the Top 10 Vegan Wings—and Tampa’s own Vegan International Co. won a spot on the list for its Drumstick Plate, which comes with a choice of sauces (Buffalo, BBQ, Jerk BBQ, or Sweet N’ Spicy) plus two sides, with options that include Mac N Cheeze, collard greens, and sweet plantains.

To celebrate, PETA will give away free wings from the restaurant tomorrow.

When:    Thursday, February 4, 12 noon

Where:    At the intersection of N. Tampa and E. Madison streets

“With all eyes on Tampa for the big game, Vegan International Co.’s flavor-packed vegan drumsticks and hearty sides were an easy draft pick for PETA,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “All the eateries on PETA’s list are making it easier than ever to enjoy delicious Super Bowl snacks that leave gentle birds in peace.”

Every year, hundreds of millions of chickens are killed for Super Bowl Sunday alone. As PETA reveals in its “Chicken in Reverse” video, birds killed for their flesh are crammed by the tens of thousands into filthy sheds and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. At the slaughterhouse, their throats are often cut while they’re still conscious, and many are scalded to death in defeathering tanks.

Each person who goes vegan saves nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint; and helps prevent future pandemics. SARS, swine flu, bird flu, and COVID-19 all stemmed from confining and killing animals for food.

Other winners on PETA’s list include the Vittles Wings from Topknotch Vegan Vittles in Kansas City, Missouri; the Seitan Wings from Double Wide Grill in Pittsburgh; and the Crispy Cauliwings from I-tal Garden in New Orleans. Yard House locations nationwide also offer vegan wings, which can be ordered with Buffalo or ancho BBQ sauce.

Each eatery will receive a framed certificate from PETA, which also offers lists of ready-to-heat wings available at grocery stores and easy vegan game-day recipes on its website.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.