The instant anyone walks in one of the by. CHLOE restaurants scattered around New York City and Boston, they instantly feel welcome and at home — and that’s why it’s so surprising that so much heartache and drama has been going down behind the scenes at the bubbly vegan chain.
This week it was revealed that Chloe Coscarelli, the famed vegan chef who co-founded the restaurant and whose name and recipes have turned the brand into such a success, was terminated. But what led to by. CHLOE moving forward without Chloe’s involvement? Well, to sum it up, her partnership with co-founder Samantha Wasser and the restaurant group ESquared Hospitality went sour because they wanted to open up non-vegan restaurants in her name — and she wasn’t having it. She sued ESquared last summer, and although Wasser claims they never planned to stray away from vegan food, the downhill spiral eventually led to Coscarelli’s removal from the brand.
Right now the future of by. CHLOE remains the same: Wasser says the food will stay vegan, and the pricing won’t increase. But, what’s next for Coscarelli, and will people still want to support the chain? The star chef plans on fighting to have her name removed from the brand, but until then, she’s just going to do what she’s always done: stay positive.
Last night she spoke out about the matter for the first time on Instagram, and her statement will give you all the feels:
Thank you to everyone who has reached out regarding the recent news, which revealed that I have been pushed out of by CHLOE. — the restaurant I founded in 2015. I imagine this news has come as a surprise to many of you. Honestly, it’s quite surreal for me too.
I developed every single recipe for the restaurant over the course of several years in my tiny apartment kitchen. I slept on a couch in the living room with no bedroom of my own so that I could be close to my work in the kitchen and develop recipes 24/7, sleeping only 3 or 4 hours most nights, for years. I set my alarm to wake me up every half hour through the night to measure the progression of ice crystals in my ice cream recipes. I made 30 variations of beet ketchup and lined them up on my window sill to compare the difference in pink pigmentation. I turned my home into a vegan test kitchen and worked with my amazing vegan team from Natural Gourmet Institute to perfect every last detail. We tested every recipe literally hundreds of times. But it was a labor of love.
From the day I began this journey, my goal was to create a fun, friendly restaurant that showcased how delicious vegan food can make a powerful and positive impact in the world —a belief that has never for a moment wavered. To me, veganism is so much more than a vehicle for business; it’s a vote for kindness, a dedication to sustainability, and a commitment to compassion. It’s a lifestyle I adopted more than a decade ago, and will forever be proud of, champion, and defend.
This year has been extremely painful — one that has challenged me to the core. But I will not let anyone deter my goals. I am committed to being strong and positive, and will continue to champion vegan cuisine and what it stands for. To budding entrepreneurs, I hope my journey inspires you to stand up for what’s right, even if it feels scary, and hope you never lose sight of your core mission. I haven’t. I won’t. I have some exciting new projects in the works and can’t wait to fill you in soon. Until then, I want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support. Community is everything, and I am eternally grateful to be a part of yours. Onward and upward! #vegan