by Ben Davis

Imagine being a kid at a birthday party, looking around at all of your friends enjoying a delicious cake and not being allowed to participate because of your food allergies. How frustrating and confusing would that situation be? That feeling of being left out, through no fault of your own… it’s something we can all empathize with.

Abe’s Muffins is a family brand with a story deeply rooted in the noble  mission to make all people feel included. The already #1 selling vegan baked good in the United States is making major strides this week, launching at all 64 Hawaii-based 7-Eleven locations. 7-Eleven’s Hawaii stores will begin offering Abe’s Vegan Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, and Lemon Poppy 3.2oz individually wrapped muffins (and a combo deal coffee promotion to make it even more enticing)!

This is a huge win for vegans, people with food allergies, and anyone out there looking for a more healthy, sustainable, and ethical baked good option without sacrificing any of the taste. Abe’s Co-founder, Marty Koffman (Abe’s favorite Uncle) is excited about the opportunity, “Our 7-Eleven Hawaii launch reflects a growing long-term commitment amongst consumers to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. Consumers are truly looking for ways to eat vegan foods while on-the-go.”

Beyond their passion for inclusivity via baked treats, Abe’s embodies their mission in the political realm as well. This spring the company started an initiative to support the equal rights and racial justice movement by educating their own employees, many of whom represent different backgrounds and ethnicities, on their civil rights. They installed signage around the facility and ran programs to raise awareness and inform workers of their rights and opportunities to stand up for what they believe in.

Abe’s is determined to contribute to social change and help all its stakeholders to recognize the need for immediate action. Marty Koffman says “While we realize we’re not going to transform the world by ourselves, we’re trying to do our small part to empower our employees to know their rights. We hope that, at least in their lives, this will advance the equality and justice that lies at the core of our nation’s founding ideals.” 

These are certainly challenging times we live in, and we here at Plant Based World are thankful for companies like Abe’s and the compassionate humans who work there. When I envision the work Abe’s is doing to make mouth-watering, vegan baked goods accessible to all Americans, all while mobilizing its citizens to be informed and stand up for what is right… it gives me hope, both for the future of our bellies and our country.