Harlem-Based Vegan Cheese Company Takes New York Pizza to the Next Level

Jessica Woods

Harlem-Based Vegan Cheese Company Takes New York Pizza to the Next Level

Pleese Cheese offers a delicious, allergy-friendly alternative to plant-based products

Harlem-Based Vegan Cheese Company Takes New York Pizza to the Next LevelNew York, NY  (-)  Pleese Foods, the creator of New York City B2B vegan vanguard Pleese® Cheese, is shaking up vegan pizza with its proprietary blend of plant-based cheese. On Monday, November 1, the Pleese team kicked off World Vegan Month with a New York takeover on Z100, New York’s #1 Radio Station.

For the daylong partnership, Pleese delivered pizzas to the Z100 crew and received some airtime on Elvis Duran, Maxwell and Crystal, and other shows. The Pleese Cheese team also kicked off World Vegan Month with a spot on the Reuters Billboard, which stands 23 stories above Times Square and receives more than 1.5 million impressions per day.


Founded by longtime New Yorkers and vegans Kobi and Abev Regev in 2017, Pleese® was created to withstand the scrutiny of the pickiest eaters of all, kids from New York City.

Abev, a Public School teacher, saw firsthand the misery of her lactose intolerant students on pizza day. Not only that, but most of the better tasting vegan cheese options on the market are made with harmful allergens like nuts and soy. “It was important to me that our cheese was school-safe while being so good that kids preferred it to dairy cheese,” said Abev, whose own vegan journey was at first eclipsed by a lack of pizza.

“When we changed our diet for health reasons in 2014, the biggest pain point we had was life without decent pizza,” said Abev’s husband and Pleese co-founder Kobi Regev. During World Vegan Month, Pleese® resolves this exact pain point, partnering with New York City slice shop establishments, like Vito’s Slices and Ices in Hell’s Kitchen. On Wednesday, November 3, Pleese® also received a major stamp of approval by the Brooklyn Boys, a podcast hosted by Elvis Duran’s own Skeery Jones and David Brody, who called the cheese “something they can both stand behind.”

A plant-based cheese made from a proprietary blend of bean and potato proteins, Pleese® Cheese contains no nuts, no cholesterol, no soy, no gluten and no GMOs, and is crafted in an allergen free environment. John Accardi, the owner of Vito’s and a longtime New York pizza maker, was immediately sold on Pleese Cheese – thanks to its allergy-friendly nature and its unbeatable taste.

Restaurants that have added Pleese® to their menus have significantly increased their customer bases. Pizza is an inclusive experience and by adding a dairy-free cheese option to the menu, it allows families or groups of friends with various dietary restrictions to enjoy a meal together.

Going vegan is also proven to have major impacts on the environment, with the water footprint for dairy production alone amounting to upwards of 150 gallons of water per day per cow. As a 100-percent plant-based company, Pleese Foods is committed to creating a sustainable future. For every case of Pleese® sold, a tree is planted by the National Forest Foundation.

Pleese® is available in New York City restaurants and slice shops from Chelsea to Brooklyn, including Vito’s Slice and Ices, Tavola, Tavolino, Rocco’s Pizza, Stella’s Pizza, and Cuts and Slices, as well as Checker’s Pizza in Connecticut—the company’s first official expansion outside of the city.

For more information about Pleese Cheese and Pleese Foods, visit https://www.pleesefoods.com and follow @pleesecheese on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Pleese Foods

Created by longtime New Yorkers Kobi and Abev Regev, Pleese Foods was launched as an answer to the lack of allergy-friendly, plant-based cheeses on the market. The company’s flagship product, Pleese Cheese, is made from a proprietary blend of bean proteins and potato starches mixed with all natural fats. 

A delicious alternative to dairy cheese, Pleese Cheese is not only more sustainable, but it actually melts on pizza the way one would expect with dairy products. School-safe and kid-approved, Pleese® Cheese appeals to pizza-picky New Yorkers and lactose intolerant folks alike. Pleese® products can be found at restaurants and slice shops across New York City. The company plans to expand into other cities over the course of the next year. For more information, visit pleesefoods.com.

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