10 Vegan Restaurateurs You Should Be Following
Trying to keep up-to-date with the latest plant-based restaurants opening around the country? These vegan restaurateurs are all about serving you the best vegan options the nation has to offer, and keeping you posted on their latest culinary projects. Check them out and give them a follow!
Babette Davis (Stuff I Eat)
Vegan chef and health advocate Babette Davis is all about serving up delicious, healthy, vegan comfort food to feed your body and soul. At almost 70 years young, Davis has proven her own philosophy: “A quality life is the key to successful aging.” You can catch her on social media spreading love and positivity, sharing her workout routines, and keeping you in the loop with all of her gorgeous dishes!
Elizabeth Petty (Elizabeth’s Gone Raw)
One of DC’s most renowned plant-based chefs, Elizabeth Petty is the founder of Elizabeth’s Gone Raw. While fighting breast cancer, Petty discovered the power of plant foods, and began her discovery of fresh, delicious superfoods that would become staples in her cooking. Naturally, she was eager to share her wonderful plant-based creations with the world, which led to her opening this fabulous plant-based eatery. Check out what her restaurant’s up to by giving them a follow!
Matthew Kenney (Plant Food + Wine, Make Out, Double Zero, etc.)
This legendary vegan restaurateur and chef has launched too many vegan restaurants to mention! However, you can check them all out here. From New York to California, there are tons of plant-based restaurants under Matthew Kenney’s incredible global brand. Not only does he own a TON of vegan kitchens, he also offers vegan cooking classes, shares super informative blog posts on his website, and is selling a range of ready-made dishes through Amazon! Stay tuned with all of his projects by following him on Instagram!
Tal Ronnen (Crossroads Kitchen)
Remember when Oprah went on that 21-day plant-based cleanse and hired a chef to prepare all of her delicious meals? This is the guy! Tal Ronnen is one of the world’s top vegan chefs, and has gone on to serve celebrities and important figures like Ellen Degeneres, Arianna Huffington, and even the U.S. Senate’s first vegan dinner! You can get a taste of his extraordinary work at his incredible eatery, Crossroads Kitchen. Make sure to check out their socials and give them a follow, so you can check out Ronnen’s latest culinary endeavors!
Velvet Kelty-Jacobs (Veltree)
Also known as Chef Velvet, this plant-based restaurateur made history by opening the FIRST vegan soul food restaurant in Charlotte; Veltree. This chef does anything from vegan 'Krab Cake' to 'Country-Fried Chic'n', and her beloved restaurant has been visited by tons of celebs, including Erykah Badu and Nick Cannon! She recently opened a location in Holloywood, and is sure to amaze us with new projects in the future! Check out her restaurant's Instagram page for updates on her irresistible vegan cuisine.
Arielle Hawthorne (Twisted Plants)
After having been diagnosed with cancer, Hawthorne knew she had to make some changes in her diet. However, she did not want to sacrifice taste. That's when she began researching the vegan dishes that would soon become big hits in her now totally plant-based restaurant in Milwaukee, Twisted Plants! This burger and soul food joint offers fried chick'n, po'boys, mac n' cheese, and other mouthwatering southern treats. Follow her restaurant's page on social media to witness their rapid growth!
Lexie Jiaras (Monty's Good Burger)
Although this all-vegan fast food chain has named Monty Jones (a rescue pooch, known as @schnoodlemonty on Instagram) owner of the company, the real brains behind the operation are those of his momma, Lexie Jiaras, and co-founders/friends Max Angles and Dennis Gomez. What started out as a very successful Coachella food stall became an extremely popular SoCal restaurant, with huge celebrity clients like Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara! Their cuisine includes In-N-Out style burgers, shakes, and fries, and they now have four locations: the original in Koreatown, the second, in Echo Park, another in Riverside and the most recent on 3rd Street at La Cienega. Make sure to give Lexie a follow so you can keep up with all her plant-based projects!
Brenda Beener (Seasoned Vegan)
Plant-based culinary genius and restaurateur Chef B has outdone herself time and time again with her incredible vegan soul food, ranging from 'crawfish' burgers to vegan po'boys and konjac 'shrimp'! Beener's critically-acclaimed restaurant Seasoned Vegan has been a huge hit in Harlem, with celebrity visits from the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Eric Reid, Erykah Badu, and Desus Nice. She has since opened an online vegan market (@thesvmarket on Instagram) as well, which you can find here. Follow her and her restaurant on social media for updates on her vegan endeavors!
Aisha Cole (Slutty Vegan ATL)
What started as one of Cole's late-night vegan cravings has morphed into an incredibly popular eatery that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the entire Atlantan community. After realizing she didn't have many vegan food options in the area after a certain hour, Cole decided to open her own place, Slutty Vegan ATL, where she would offer ridiculously tempting plant-based burgers, pies, and fries. Today, this plant-powered entrepreneur is doing great things not only for the vegan community, but also for Atlanta's youth. Her restaurant Slutty Vegan ATL has become a haven of hope for juvenile offenders in the area, giving them jobs and the resources to turn their lives around. She has also helped pay off 30 students' debt at her alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, and has provided the family of Rayshard Brooks with life insurance and full Clark Atlanta scholarships! If you're inspired by Aisha "Pinky" Cole's accomplishments and mission, make sure to hit that follow button on her Instagram page for updates on this woman's amazing work!
Tamerra Dyson (Souley Vegan)
With two California locations (one in Oakland, another in L.A.), and another one soon popping up in San Francisco, Souley Vegan has become a huge success! However, for Tamerra Dyson, the owner of this popular vegan chain, things haven't always been so smooth sailing. Before opening her restaurant, she was a single mother with bad credit, but a great vision. She started by selling her plant-based creations at local markets and events, and eventually stumbled upon the vacant location that would become her dream restaurant. Although she didn't have the means to promise the landlord even her first month of rent, she was given the chance to prove she could come up with the money. After experiencing shocking success and turning her entire life around, she has now become a public speaker and inspires thousands of people with her story. If you, too, are inspired by Dyson's courage and drive, make sure to follow her and keep up with all of her incredible projects!
These plant-based heroes are saving lives with their culinary creations, and inspiring thousands to adopt a healthy plant-based lifestyle! Which of these amazing vegan restaurateurs inspired you the most? Did we miss anyone? Comment below and let us know!
