HappyCow was founded in 1999 by Eric Brent as an online food guide to help travelers find vegan options around the world. In 2011, the mobile app was launched on both
Apple and
Android and has been downloaded over 4 million times. The app offers translation in 12 languages. It is the largest online platform of its kind specializing in vegan food discovery. The platform hosts over 220,000 businesses in over 180 countries, with over 1.5 million reviews, more than 2 million photos, and 14 million monthly listing views. The directory contains restaurants, cafes, bakeries, juice bars, food trucks, catering services, shops and food stores which are either fully vegan or offer vegan options. The initial definition for veg-friendly was based on a minimum menu content being at least 60% vegetarian. This has since been modified into a more flexible set of guidelines based on the alternative availability of vegan food in the area. Listings are categorized based on the following definitions: •
Vegan: Food businesses that serve fully vegan food. No animal products are used in the kitchen. •
Vegetarian: Food businesses where some of the food is fully vegan, but dairy, egg, and/or honey may also be used in some dishes. • Veg-Options: Food businesses whose menu includes some fully vegan dishes, but meat, dairy, and/or egg is also prominent in dishes. The menu must include 3 or more fully vegan options to be listed on HappyCow, unless the area has limited vegan options. Other listings include vegan friendly accommodation, social and activity groups, and other entities with consideration for animal compassion. The website has forum, blog and recipe sections. The HappyCow
YouTube channel was launched in 2012. ==Functionality==