Newport Plant-Based Restaurant Makes Yelp's 2023 List Of Top 100 Places To Eat In U.S.

NEWPORT, RI — A restaurant in Newport made Yelp's 2023 list of the best places to eat in the U.S.

On Wednesday, a Yelp blog listed the "Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. in 2023." Root, a popular plant-based breakfast and lunch spot at 6 Broadway, came in at No. 59 on the list. It was the only Rhode Island restaurant to make Yelp's list.

Root co-owner Paul Webber runs the restaurant with his wife Kate. Webber told Patch he found out Root made the list when Yelp sent a gift package containing a big bag of popcorn and a plaque.

"My wife is an ace, so she gets the credit," Webber said. "Hopefully it translates into some business."

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global vegan food market was $26.16 billion in 2020. By 2028, it's expected to grow to $61.35 billion.

"I think it's the fastest growing part of retail in the restaurant industry," Webber told Patch. "The younger kids that are eating this trend don't have the money to open restaurants yet, so it's a little bit of a gap. There's still not room for three or five plant-based restaurants in Newport, but it's definitely growing."

Here’s how Yelp's top 100 list was put together, according to the company's website:

"To determine Yelp’s Top Places to Eat in 2023, Yelp reached out to the user community first, requesting individuals to submit favorite U.S. restaurants. Yelp’s data science team analyzed the submissions from the community to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions, with geographic representation based on equal share of submissions of top-rated restaurants nationally. Yelp further curated the list with the expertise of our Community Managers around the country to finalize the rankings. The resulting list is collaborative and passion driven – an accurate reflection of the Yelp Community itself."

Also read: Newport Among Top 5 Most Vegan-Friendly Beach Towns In U.S.: PETA.