A mainstream vegetarian fast food restaurant with a low-carbon commitment? Could it be so? This humble blogger believes the answer just might be:  ”Yes, yes, yes!”

On Wednesday night, I headed downtown to check out Otarian — a new boutique fast-casual restaurant chain in NYC. Now we all know veggie food is already way better for the environment than its meaty counterpart, but Otarian plans to take the eco initiative one step further.

Otarian will be the first global chain to carbon footprint all of its menu items according to the internationally recognized standards of PAS 2050. What’s more, Otarian is participating in the “road testing” of the World Resources Institute’s new product carbon foot printing standard, which is set to become the new gold standard.

According to owner Radhika Oswal,“Vegetarianism is the most sustainable way of eating and being. Vegetarian food has a lighter ecological footprint, reduced resource impacts, and lower carbon emissions than non-vegetarian equivalents. Our goal is to provide consumers with the quantifiable and measurable benefits of each delicious vegetarian alternative they choose at Otarian, and thus, empower them to make a positive impact on the environment one meal at a time.”

At the event we saw a slew of famous faces, including Vanessa Williams, Mark Indelicato, Judah Friedlander, and — wait for it — Mary Kate Olsen? What the deuce? With Olsen’s wicked’s fur-loving reputation, one might not expect to see the starlet at a vegetarian establishment — but hold off before you make a judgement!  During the cocktail hour, I overheard Mary Kate tell the owner of Otarian that besides fish (which she “eats for protein”), Olsen rocks a mainly vegetarian diet. Who knew?

Otarian officially opens its first two locations in NYC on April 19, and plans to quickly expand from there. Are you excited about low-carbon, vegetarian deliciousness? Then stop on by Otarian.com and find out more!