One tiny room just outgrew itself. Tarantino's Vegan announced on November 10 that it is preparing to open a second company-owned restaurant in the Las Vegas Valley.
The original is only 1,400 square feet. It has spent six years getting too big for it.
The Numbers Behind the Second Door
Sarah Tarantino and Michael Tarantino founded the restaurant in 2020. Michael Tarantino was its original executive chef, and he helped build the menu and its Italian foundation.
Since then the receipts have stacked up. The company reports over 84 percent net-sales growth since 2023.
It has also been recognized among Yelp's Top 10 Vegan Restaurants in the United States, featured by VegNews, and it has accumulated more than 1,000 Google reviews.
The order of operations matters here. Tarantino's Plant Based, the new parent company, wants the second Las Vegas Valley restaurant open and stable first, to test the model and build the staffing, systems, and management foundation.
Franchising comes after that, not before. Jeffrey Harris, former CEO and chairman of Plant Power Fast Food, recently joined the advisory board to help with that growth, and under his leadership Plant Power grew to 11 locations.
Why Meat Eaters Keep Showing Up
The menu is familiar Italian comfort food made entirely plant-based: pasta dishes, pizzas, entrees, desserts, and bakery items, plus extensive gluten-free options. The whole menu is cholesterol-free.
Much of it is made from scratch in-house, including sauces, soups, dressings, cheeses, meat alternatives, and desserts. That is the trick. Nothing on the plate asks you to learn a new cuisine first.
"We have always wanted Tarantino's to be a place where people feel welcome," said founder Sarah Tarantino.
That pitch recently got a hard test. Tarantino's partnered with Wonderful Pistachios and Chunk Foods for a culinary event serving executive chefs from professional basketball organizations, a group whose diets primarily include meat.
"Tarantino's was the perfect option because they just put out great food. It allowed the chefs to experience what plant-based dining is supposed to be, and the entire group left inspired," said Chris Tucker, United States Corporate Chef for Chunk Foods.
Go Now, and Watch What Comes Next
You do not have to wait for restaurant number two. The original is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 7960 S Rainbow Blvd suite 8000G, Las Vegas, NV 89139, and walk-ins are welcome.
Order like a regular on your first visit:
- Start: the signature zucchini sticks, with a gluten-free version made with premium GF flour.
- Then: the Caesar salad and the vegan lasagna, two of the dishes the restaurant is known for.
- Finish: tiramisu. Save room. Seriously.
Two things are not announced yet, so do not plan around them: the second restaurant has no public location or opening date. When it lands, the company also plans to evaluate consumer products built on recipes it already makes, including its Caesar dressing and Alfredo sauce.
Future franchise markets could include Southern California, Arizona, Georgia, and New Jersey, but the company says that depends on qualified franchise partners, not a fixed sequence. Las Vegas gets the proof first.
"Growth has never been about getting bigger for the sake of getting bigger," Sarah Tarantino said. "It is about creating a business that can carry our mission further."
