VeganSTL Editorial Standards & Review Methodology

Everything published on VeganSTL.com is governed by the standards on this page—directory listings, guides, reviews, features, news, event listings, and organizational statements alike. They exist for one reason: you should be able to trust what you read here, and check our work when you don't. VeganSTL is operated by Project Animal Freedom, a Missouri-based nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3); these practices keep our mission and our publishing honest with each other.

Last substantively updated: August 26th, 2026

1. What We Publish

VeganSTL publishes several kinds of content, and they're not interchangeable:

Directory listings (STL Vegan Guide entries)—factual entries that meet our classification criteria. A listing is not an endorsement.

Guides and "best of" recommendations—editorial picks involving judgment, with the criteria explained.

Features and news—researched articles about vegan life and animal rights in St. Louis.

Event listings—verified announcements. A listing is not an independent review of the event.

Organizational statements—when Project Animal Freedom speaks as an advocacy nonprofit, we say so. Advocacy is labeled as advocacy, never disguised as reporting.

2. Restaurant & Business Classifications

We use these terms precisely and consistently across the site:

Fully vegan (100% vegan): the business represents its standard food and drink offerings as free from animal-derived ingredients.

Vegetarian: the standard menu contains no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may include dairy, eggs, or honey; vegan options identified where available.

Vegan-friendly: the business serves multiple clearly identified, substantial vegan choices—not just side dishes or heavily modified orders.

Vegan options available: one or a small number of vegan choices, or options that require modification—ask when ordering.

A note on "plant-based": businesses use this term inconsistently, and it does not automatically mean vegan. We verify ingredients or seek clarification before classifying a plant-based item as vegan.

A note on cross-contamination: many vegan-friendly restaurants use shared kitchens or equipment. Where we know about dedicated vegan prep, we say so. If you have allergies or medical dietary needs, confirm directly with the restaurant.

3. How We Research Businesses

Our research draws on first-hand visits; menu review; direct communication with the business; official websites and social accounts; ordering platforms; and community reports, which we verify before relying on.

We do not claim to have personally visited every listed business. Where a guide reflects first-hand visits, we say so in that guide.

4. Reviews & "Best Of" Recommendations

When we recommend, we weigh factors like food quality; breadth and clarity of vegan options; consistency; value; service; atmosphere; accessibility; community reputation; and our own first-hand experience where applicable. Different guides weigh these differently—a cheap-eats list isn't judged like a date-night list—and we explain the criteria within each guide. A business does not need to have been personally visited unless a specific guide says otherwise. Rankings involve honest editorial judgment; we don't pretend they're laboratory measurements.

5. How We Verify Events

For every event listing, we verify the date, time, location, and cost against the organizer's official announcement. We distinguish among:

VeganSTL / Project Animal Freedom events—organized by us and identified as ours. For these, this site is the authoritative source.

Partner events—organized with partners; details confirmed with the organizer.

Independent events—organized by third parties; verified against official sources.

When organizers change or cancel an event, we update the listing as soon as we learn of it. For independently organized events, check the organizer's official page before traveling—it's the authoritative source for last-minute changes.

6. Sources & Citations

We use the most authoritative source appropriate to the claim, and we corroborate important or disputed information whenever practical. What that looks like by subject:

A current menu or ingredients: the official menu, direct confirmation from the business, and first-hand observation where applicable.

An event: the organizer's official page or direct confirmation.

A health or nutrition claim: systematic reviews, peer-reviewed research, government health guidance, or recognized professional institutions.

A legal claim: the statute, regulation, court decision, ballot text, or an authoritative government source.

A historical claim: primary documents, archival materials, reputable reporting, and scholarly sources, as appropriate to the subject.

A statistical claim: the original dataset, an official report, internal records with methodology, or a reputable secondary source.

Community reports: useful leads—verified before we rely on them.

7. Dates, Updates & Freshness

Articles display when they were first published. When we make substantive updates—new information, corrected facts, changed recommendations—we update the "updated" date. We don't refresh dates for typo fixes, and we don't fake freshness.

Our update cadence, honestly stated:

Closures and material factual errors—corrected as soon as confirmed.

The core restaurant directory—updated throughout the year as openings, closures, menu changes, and classification changes are confirmed.

Major "best of" guides—formally reviewed at least annually, and whenever major local changes occur.

Foundational educational pages, including Veganism in St. Louis and Animal Rights in St. Louis—reviewed at least annually, with additional updates when material facts or authoritative guidance change.

Event listings—checked at publication and updated when organizers announce changes.

8. Corrections

Found an error? Email info@veganstl.comwith a link to the page, the incorrect statement, and—if you have it—a source for the correction. We review every credible report.

Material errors are corrected promptly. Substantive corrections are noted on the affected page, usually at the bottom, with the date and a brief explanation; minor errors like typos may be fixed silently.

If a business or reader disputes a classification or factual statement, we review the available evidence and apply our published criteria consistently—and we're happy to explain the basis for our decision.

9. Sponsorships, Partnerships & Conflicts of Interest

Sponsors cannot buy favorable coverage. Ever.

Sponsored content is labeled as sponsored.

Free food, products, admission, or services are disclosed whenever they are relevant to coverage.

Personal or organizational relationships are disclosed when they could reasonably affect your trust.

Project Animal Freedom's own events and initiatives are identified as ours. We're proud of them—and you deserve to know which coverage is self-coverage.

10. Advertising & Affiliate Links

VeganSTL currently does not use affiliate links. If that ever changes, we'll update this policy first and disclose affiliate relationships wherever they appear.

Advertising and sponsorship support our nonprofit work; neither influences editorial decisions, and neither is the same thing as editorial coverage.

11. How We Use AI

We're transparent about our tools: we use AI to help with research support, drafting, organization, and editing. Here's what never changes:

A human editor reviews the underlying sources rather than relying on AI summaries alone, and takes responsibility for everything we publish.

Factual claims are verified against reliable underlying sources, with particular care given to local names, dates, addresses, menus, prices, classifications, and statistics.

AI output is never treated as evidence or as a factual source.

AI is never used to fabricate quotations, interviews, or first-hand observations—and never to claim a business or event was visited when it wasn't.

We think this is the honest position: use good tools, verify against reliable sources, and put a human's name on the work.

12. Reader & Business Submissions

Readers and businesses are welcome to submit corrections, updates, and events to info@veganstl.com. Submission doesn't guarantee inclusion; everything we publish must meet the standards on this page. We may edit or independently verify promotional claims, and final wording is always ours.

Questions about any of these policies? Contact us (→ /contact)—we'll answer.