Vegan activists launch 'hateful' attacks on restaurant after it adds chicken, fish to its menu

Goodbeet in Haddon Township introduced local, organic, pasture-raised chicken and wild-caught, Jail Island salmon to its menu two months ago.

Michael Hughes, the front-of-house manager, has worked at Goodbeet for seven years. He told Fox News Digital that adding the new items was a business decision.

"It's not something we were eager to do, but it was something that we thought we had to do to stay open."

The change sparked outrage among some people. 

"There's no way you can serve the flesh and secretions of the innocent animals and still respect their rights," said one person on Instagram.

Another user wrote, "You have failed the vegan community - a community [that] is based on the selfless ethos that we should not exploit animals."

The same person added, "You could've [stood] for something. You could've [stood] for the powerless, the most exploited beings [on] the planet. But instead, you made a business decision."

"Slaughterhouse supporters," commented yet another person.

"We were really trying our best to let [customers] know that we really do hear you, but … some of those comments were so hard to respond to because they were just hateful," said Hughes.

He added that the restaurant's intention was not to hurt people. Instead, it made the menu change to give existing customers a protein option and to bring in new customers.

Hughes went on, "But once I've added it, you know, their partners are usually like, 'Yeah, I would love this with some chicken on the side.'"

He stressed that there's been a great deal of local support. 

"A lot of people in the community have been coming in and just saying, 'We want to support [you].'"

If those who are bashing the restaurant decide to come back in six months, he said, the restaurant's team will "be here with open arms and will be happy to see them again."

She also said rising costs in the restaurant industry for things such as labor, food and paper products contributed to her decision.