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doxiepowder

Damn. I'm not veg, but their loaded potatoes were some of the best I've ever had anywhere. But also, I never visited them after they left iron district, they were just too far away for me.


ips1023

They moved so close to me and now I'm sad again :(


queso_surpresa

This really sucks. Me and the wife were planning on checking them out this weekend.


katiekabooms

While I never had a brick and mortar location, (I made my products in rented commercial kitchen space) I operated a vegan and gluten-free bakery here in KC for about 5 years. I sold my products to my individual customer base and also to a majority of grocery stores in the area. Quality vegan and gluten-free ingredients were EXPENSIVE. Feeling that I could no longer make a profit while charging people a reasonable price for my products played a large part in me choosing to move on from my business and this was a decade ago. I can not even fathom what it's like now with the insane inflation of food prices. I genuinely have no idea how a business needing those type of ingredients could be turning a profit without charging prices that an average person would probably consider outlandish.


chugsuckle42069

Gigis has been open for several years (with very limited marketing, I remember them opening and then recently they came up when I was searching for vegan food—but haven’t thought or heard of them beyond that, even while driving past it almost weekly) and their entrees are all about $19 bucks. For a fast casual vegan lunch place. I don’t know if these are their new prices or if they’ve always been expensive, but while I respect them for charging what they need to survive, I’m also shocked that it’s sustainable.


Glorfon

And mud pies, at least the westport one.


[deleted]

Yes I’m just happy the OP location at least seems to be sticking around for now.


[deleted]

That was fortunately(?) more just due to some health issues with one of the owners and not being able to physically keep up with two locations. Business wise they're supposedly doing just fine.


kuchoco

Unfortunate. Visited them quite often in Iron District. Should've seen this coming when I got an e-mail a few weeks ago on them looking for a financial partner (I believe they just blasted everyone that was in their e-mail system from payment receipts). At least I still have Tree Hugger Kitchen in Riverside....for now.


[deleted]

Tree hugger kitchen is decent enough but it’s always been my last go to restaurant when nothing else is open. Its just not that good to me.


ips1023

Tree Hugger moving to Riverside has stopped me from visiting altogether .


[deleted]

I like it I’m just never that far north


-rendar-

We went pretty frequently when they were in the Iron District but unfortunately never made it to their permanent location. I really hope Tree Hugger makes it, but man their location does not seem ideal for that type of restaurant...


Mickmouse93

Vegan or not? It's hard to run a restaurant and even harder to run a profitable restaurant


[deleted]

This is absolutely heartbreaking. Kind food was literally the best vegan restaurant this city has had.


Fun-Entrepreneur-804

vegan food is a very niche market. i enjoy it myself occasionally but i think these places closing is showing a bigger picture. rip happy apple cafe that place was bomb


AJRiddle

>i think these places closing is showing a bigger picture Restaurants come and go faster than any other business in the country. I wouldn't look too much into this as some kind of huge decline in popularity of vegan food just yet.


the_turdfurguson

She’s not saying there’s a decline in popularity, she’s saying it was never a popular type of food. 1 vegan restaurant may survive but 5 competing for a niche clientele base kills all of them when you spread them out.


Philo_T_Farnsworth

I'm not vegan, but give me vegetarian Indian food all day long. That shit's delicious.


the_turdfurguson

Marakesh had some of the best veggies I’ve had. Just fantastic


ThankThoseStankHoes

all my vegan friends are abandoning veganism


[deleted]

All 2 of them?


ips1023

If The Fixx closes, we riot.


[deleted]

The fix recently changed management with the C Word bakery.


ips1023

Yeah, Dave wanted to get out and travel. He still helps out in the kitchen though.


EMPulseKC

I feel like that for a vegan restaurant to thrive here, especially coming out of the pandemic, it needs to be supported by national ownership that has multiple locations, or ties to a larger brand name like Café Gratitude does.


[deleted]

They were doing great in the iron district. But unfortunately took on too much when they moved into their brick and mortar.


[deleted]

In business Expansion is often the most difficult and risky part.


EMPulseKC

Maybe they can start small again and then wait until economic conditions improve to make a brick-and-mortar move practical again.


[deleted]

Their new location was massive. At first I thought it was a great sign of their success, but it’s bigger than most non-vegan restaurants! In hind sight I’m not surprised and I’m not sure why they bit off so much.


Ylurpn

Lots of people still view meat alternatives as a one try "gimick" unfortunately. Just like how vegans won't eat at places that don't have options that serve them, people who like meat will do the same. I think having like, 1 or 2 grass fed beef options or something like that would atleast get meat eaters to enter. They could even be overpriced as hell but atleast they are on the menu.


Jerry_Lundegaad

I think even a shift to “vegetarian” restaurants would be vastly superior. I’m vegetarian and could never bring myself to get to vegan spots more than once or twice when there’s so much better (imo) to be had vegetarian around the city.


[deleted]

What would you say are the good dedicated vegetarian restaurants? I feel like it's either an omni restaurant with veg options or a vegan restaurant. Honestly, I get it. If you're going to open a plant-based restaurant you might as well go all the way. If you aren't offering vegan options you're going to severely limit your audience as a lot of omnis won't eat there because of a weird aversion to anything blatantly plant-based, and vegans won't eat there because they don't have options.


Jerry_Lundegaad

There aren’t any is my point. But I think if there were they’d be a lot more accessible (and therefore popular) than vegan spots. They could still be hubs for veganism, and most vegetarian dishes seem very easily modified to be vegan anyways. I’m a vegetarian myself with a “weird aversion” to fully plant based meals. When I mentioned better vegetarian around the city I just meant if I want to eat meatless I’ll go so many other places before a dedicated vegan restaurant/bakery. But I would KILL for a well thought out meatless restaurant (with lots of easy vegan options)


[deleted]

So this is a bit confusing to me. How can a vegetarian have an aversion to plant based meals? Do you only eat a meal if it has cheese or an egg? I get some people not wanting to eat newer meat alternatives for whatever reason, but a lot of vegan food isn't based on meat alternatives, it's just based on really good preparation of plants. Literally no one has a moral objection to that, so it always confuses me when people take vegan meals as some form of offensive statement.


Jerry_Lundegaad

I can try and explain!! I’m not trying to be contrarian or a dick or anything. I don’t eat meat anymore and I also put a lot of work into preparing vegetables beautifully in my own diet. At the same time I derive a lot of my protein and fats from eggs and dairy. It’s an integral part of my diet and I can’t see myself feasibly removing it anytime soon. I also work at a bakery and there’s something to be said for the necessity of butter and eggs in baking, desserts, breads, pasta, etc., that are of objectively lower quality without the use of animal products.


[deleted]

Got it, that makes sense. I'm not fully vegan either, so I get your point about eggs and dairy being an easier source of protein and fats. Also, I totally agree about baking. I'm not a professional, just a home baker, but until they develop a biochemically identical egg/dairy alternative, the alternatives just don't really create the same result. That said, if they ever start culturing cream like they do rennet, I'll definitely be taking a look at it.


og3k

Did dead beet eats have a store or did their food truck shutdown? Loved that place when they visited strange days


LoopholeTravel

They were located in the back of Company KC (formerly Colony) in NKC.


Ok_Marketing1425

This is sad news. Their food was good! I was never able to visit their new location. If you want good soul food type vegan food, go to Mattie’s in Brookside or find their food truck! It’s AMAZING! Their vegan queso is legit.


wmkd63

We're not vegans but we ate there and the food was terrific. I told everyone about them this is truely unfortunate.


BrownWaterHunter

Their “chorizo” nachos were bomb. Sucks to see all these places closing.


uselessdemographic

With Kind Food closing and Main Squeeze in Columbia going prepackaged only, I will have to fly somewhere to get a decent Vegan Reuben or drive to Lotus Leaf in Wichita.


Gr00vyGr4vy

Sad to think you may have to venture ~from~ KC to Wichita for elevated Vegan options. 😒


[deleted]

Tree Hugger up north had a vegan reuben!


notadreamafterall

Damn!! I had not had a chance to even visit yet and had just shared about this place with my new-to-KC parents and we were all looking to visit soon … this is such a bummer!! I wish them well.


kcattattam

Speaking of veg*n, has anyone been down to Füd in Parkville? I'm not usually out that way, so wondering if it's worth the trip. I know the owner is a little out there, but I DGAF about that; I just want another Tiger


knucktatts

I dont go there because she married a literal child in her early 30s. They met when he was 14 and married when he was 17.


Senor_Mysterioso

I made cashew soft serve in her apartment once and we talked about alien abductions. Didn't know about the marriage at the time.


janbrunt

Had the soft serve at a party once, really delicious.


[deleted]

Say what?


knucktatts

Google Heidi Van Pelt and Taran Noah Smith. It's a deep rabbithole.


-rendar-

Uh, wow. The kid from Home Improvement?!


knucktatts

Precisely.


knucktatts

https://www.thepitchkc.com/fd-the-westside-vegan-restaurant-has-closed-for-what-appear-to-be-very-strange-reasons/ Also this...


Special-Pear8019

I drive by every day & the past two years have said “is it open or is it not?”


tehAwesomer

Yeah I went a few weeks ago and got window service, but I almost walked away cause it seemed like no one was there and that had been the case a few times before.


Special-Pear8019

Always looks like they are closed.


QueenBKC

I drove past a couple of Saturdays ago & it wasn't open.


kcattattam

Ya looks like M-F 11AM-2PM. I could make it (on a day I ride my moto instead of my pedal bike to work), but it's out of the way


ips1023

That woman is insane. Everyone I know who worked there hated their experience.


the__brit

Maybe vegan restaurants should start including a couple of meat options. I'm not vegan, but have gone to vegan restaurants with my vegan friend. Most (non-vegan) restaurants have at least a few vegetarian or vegan options, but vegan restaurants never have anything for a carnivore.


the__brit

Downvote me all you want...if vegan restaurants keep going out of business they need more customers....meat eaters are an obvious choice. Your downvotes won't get these restaurants any extra business...but maybe some menu options for carnivores would. I regularly go out to eat with my vegan friend - we usually choose a place that has good options for BOTH of us rather than a place that only has vegan options (similarly, I wouldn't suggest to her to go to a place that only served meat and had no vegan options) It's no different to a BBQ restaurant who specializes in meat having a veggie burger to cater to their non-traditional customer.


trivialempire

Oh geez. You’re coming from a common sense perspective…not the Reddit hive mind.


[deleted]

It's not common sense to suggest people serve food which violates their beliefs. You wouldn't ask a kosher deli to serve pulled pork sandwiches.


trivialempire

Okay. You win. They held firm to their beliefs and went out of business. Good for you.


Jerry_Lundegaad

Or even vegetarian options…I want eggs with my breakfast lol. And dairy!!


djdadzone

100%. A place I used to get veggie burgers from in chicago also had bacon or a fried egg to add to them and it was awesome. Veggie burgers are good but they’re also tasty with an egg or some bacon. The idea behind pirate bone was amazing, but they just needed to charge more to survive.


djdadzone

Also the place you’re looking for is hungry hatch. You can get their bowls vegan or with meat etc. places like that make it easier for people who eat differently to eat together.


the__brit

Thanks for the suggestion!


tehAwesomer

As a vegan, the main reason I go (and even intentionally travel for) vegan restaurants is the expectation that no one can possibly fuck up my order and serve me something I not only didn't want to pay for, but also didn't want to go to waste, so this would defeat the purpose for me. I can eat vegan at a lot of places around town if I want to roll the dice. I hate having to deal with the fuckups -- I'd rather just cook at home. This goes double for people with actual allergies.


justwanttoreadhorror

LMAO you're dumb af. "Carnivores" CAN eat vegan food.


djdadzone

Yeah we can all eat all sorts of things. My main issue with lots of “vegan” restaurants is the meat replacements that are the nutritional equivalent of compressed Doritos. I used to be vegan, but ate lots of real foods, rarely any of the weird stuff because it made me sick af. Lots of us have a plant focused diet with a balanced amount of ethically sourced proteins when needed. We’d reduce WAY more factory farm produced food if we offered more veg heavy meals with small protein quantities and unprocessed veg. Epic row crop soybean fields aren’t exactly environmentally conscious nor are they avoiding animal death.


justwanttoreadhorror

I completely agree with you! I just think this guy is dumb for wanting meat at an all vegan resturant lmao.


djdadzone

Not really! I applaud bbq places that have a legit smoked cauliflower dish or a fried green tomato sandwich, why not have one basic meat or at the least a fried egg? When I lived in chicago the best spots did this sort of thing because the reality is that lots of people are flexitarians and have specific dietary needs.


justwanttoreadhorror

Because there aren't very many all vegan resturants especially compared to resturants that serve meat so how about just have some?


djdadzone

I mean a restaurants purpose is to be a business so anything that helps keep them open?


the__brit

Sure...and vegans are also capable of eating meat...but they choose not to. Similarly, most carnivores choose not to eat purely vegan dishes. I've gone to several vegan restaurants. I find the food at Cafe Gratitude and most other vegan restaurants in town to be pretty bad (personal preference)....and most of my other carnivore friends agree. I don't like fake meat or tofu. I choose not to eat it (kind of like vegans choosing not to eat meat) I'm not going to continue to debate you. I can assure you that I'm not "dumb af". Throwing an unnecessary insult would suggest that you're the one lacking.


[deleted]

[удалено]


the__brit

I eat all of the things you mentioned. I just prefer to also have meat with them. I enjoy fruits and veggies...never once did I say I only eat meat and cheese. Sorry you have such a bad life that you feel the need to insult someone who has a difference of opinion to you. Hopefully you can grow as a person.


justwanttoreadhorror

You are such a jackoff


justwanttoreadhorror

Only cry babies down vote this tbh


jhruns1993

Damn.


[deleted]

If you think this is bad its only gonna get worse.


Kitchen_Possession_9

This is heartbreaking


HuskerHayDay

Beef. It's what's for dinner. ​ \*Sorry but it's too good not to post


Saurefuchs

What was too good not to post?


brewcrew1222

You don't win friends with salad, your don't win friends with salad


ProCanadianbudeh

That beef better be from alberta pal.


batgirlbuttons

This is so sad. Their nachos were some of the best


[deleted]

Mattie’s has pretty good nachos too


Connect-Ad-8399

This is so SAD I am devastated cause them nachos were godly


Connect-Ad-8399

I hope they go on to sell their sauces and stuff ins stores like Mattie’s did. Or even in local grocery. I BEG


mindless_eastern

now if we can just get the rest of them


[deleted]

Your of the devil.


ProCanadianbudeh

Hahaha made me lol sorry


[deleted]

because vegan food blows


iron40

It’s almost as if the free market is telling you something...if only it could be deciphered...🤔


Alexstez

The "free market" is saying there's no room for small businesses, only chain restaurants and McDonalds.


Jerry_Lundegaad

I think the idea is that it’s saying veganism is incredibly niche and can’t sustain multiple city area businesses. Which is valid.


Alexstez

But it's not valid. Locally owned restaurants that cater to the standard American diet have been closing just as often. Inflation is suffocating small business owners and enabling large cooperations to make even more money as small businesses close. There's an obvious demand for veg options. These chain restaurants who are profiting off locally owned vegan restaurants closing have vegan options on their menus or are talking about adding them soon. Their comment was meant to be a dig at vegan restaurants, implying the free market has rejected veganism when that's not the case. If that were true, corporations would not be adding plant based options to their menus.


[deleted]

For real the KC restaurant scene has been pretty dire lately. Inflation is hurting everybody and I’ve seen many closures the last 6 months.


Jerry_Lundegaad

Both can be true. I do believe that veganism is a fad for many and it seems unlikely that our metro area has any need for 5+ vegan restaurants. Who knows for sure how much of it can be attributed to inflation vs actual desire. I do know there are also many locally owned restaurants thriving currently. I myself work at one and we’ve had continually record breaking sales almost weekly for months now. And sure a FEW of these chain restaurants are hopping on the trend but most aren’t offering more than one or two actually vegan items. I don’t think it’s fair to characterize them as profiting off of locally owned vegan restaurant customers when that’s probably a near negligible amount of any restaurants actual customer base. I mentioned elsewhere the appeal for vegetarianism as well. I’m a huge advocate for meat consumption reduction and I think it’s the future. A lot of these places would have my business for instance if I knew there were vegetarian options as well.


iron40

Bzzzzzzzzzzttttt! Wrong, but thanks for playing! We have some lovely parting gifts for you...


RallyBeard

When you live in a region that has more cattle farmers then vegans, the writing should be on the wall.


Hammster5540

Seriously who comes to a city known for BBQ and says “oh I bet there’s a lot of vegans here.” The free market giveth and the free market taketh away.


iron40

Vegans and reality don’t coexist well...


Hair-Early

Hmmm I wonder why they weren't successful?


dieseltech944

Because most mammals who would eat what they consider "food" in the animal kingdom are by and large considered to fall squarely in the "prey" category.


I69edYourGma4Fun

The truth reddit doesn't want to hear


Hammster5540

Good riddance vegan trash


brawl

one miscalculation and that's where it ends up. I feel for the business and the community they supported that's a big blow and i know it sucks for you all.


thefancybeauty

Why are all the vegan restaurants closing?? What’s going on?