CHICAGO – Today, as the Cubs head into the World Series playoffs, The Chicago Diner, a Chicago meat-free institution since 1983, has teamed up with the national farm animal protection nonprofit Farm Sanctuary to reverse the “Curse of the Billy Goat” once and for all by displaying posters in the windows at both their locations in Lakeview and Logan Square featuring a spunky goat named Peanut who urges Chicagoans to “reverse the curse” by going meat-free. According to Sam Sianis, nephew of Billy Goat Tavern founder William Sianis, the Curse of the Billy Goat can only be dispelled by Chicagoans showing “a sincere fondness for goats.”
Gene Baur, President and Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary, which boasts more than half a million members and supporters nationwide, including Martha Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Gosling, and Jon Stewart, and operates shelters for abused farm animals in New York, California, and New Jersey, was in Chicago last week doing his part to inspire kindness for goats through appearances on WGN-TV’s Midday News and at the Chicago Walk for Farm Animals and Chicago VeganMania.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Chicago Diner to help reverse the Curse of the Billy Goat because here at Farm Sanctuary we know first-hand how friendly, affectionate, curious, and all-around wonderful goats are. They deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, like all farm animals,” says Baur, who TIME magazine calls “the conscience of the food movement and who was recently selected by Oprah Winfrey to join her SuperSoul 100 dream team of “100 awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity.” “Many of us grow up eating animal products without thinking about it, and unwittingly support a cruel factory farming system that is harmful to animals, people, and the environment. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The best thing that Chicagoans can do to show kindness to goats, and to help reverse the curse, is to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diets. Fortunately, The Chicago Diner has been meat-free since 1983 and offers traditional diner comfort food such as Buffalo wings, reubens, and milkshakes using plant-based ingredients!”
“At The Chicago Diner, we’ve been fighting for three decades on behalf of those who don’t have a voice. Going meat-free is one more thing fans can do to create a legacy of kindness and hopefully reverse the curse. We’ve partnered with Gene and his team to bring this message of kindness to Cubs fans,” says Michael Hornick, general manager.
