最新杏吧原创 is home to an incredible array of restaurants, and many of the city鈥檚 best spots for vegan, vegetarian and plant-based dining are owned and operated by Black women. From SweetArt Bakeshop + Caf茅 and Adina鈥檚 Vegan Cuisine to Bougie Bites STL, these eateries have redefined how the city experiences and understands vegan cuisine.
Despite the restaurant industry鈥檚 notorious instability, these businesses and their owners have managed to feed and nourish 最新杏吧原创 through the years, not only becoming leaders in their communities but also exposing more people to the benefits of plant-based food. Statistically speaking, about 41 percent of restaurant businesses are minority-owned, according to the National Restaurant Association. Only 9 percent of those are owned by Black entrepreneurs. However, according to the Pew Research Center, 鈥渁 nonpartisan think tank that provides insights on social issues, public opinion and demographic trends,鈥 Black-owned businesses in the U.S. have experienced significant growth in recent years. And in the U.S. in general, Black business owners are more likely to be men than women.
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So, what鈥檚 the link between these broader statistics and the plant-based food ventures led by Black women in 最新杏吧原创? Reine Keis, owner of SweetArt Bakeshop + Caf茅 and SweetArt Too, theorizes that the world has not traditionally associated plant-based eating and lifestyles with Black culture. 鈥淚 know when I first opened in 2008, I was making food that I was eating at home, and my family and friends were also eating that way,鈥 she explains. 鈥淣ow, veganism is becoming more associated with Black people, and we鈥檙e added into the construct of what good vegan food is. It鈥檚 definitely something that鈥檚 associated with the culture; we want delicious vegan food that makes us think of our upbringing and that鈥檚 soulful, flavored and seasoned.鈥 Growing up, Keis鈥 grandparents always had vegetables on the table 鈥 salad, greens, sweet potatoes, corn and more. They weren鈥檛 vegetarian, but they cooked and prepared mostly whole foods and plenty of vegetables. 鈥淚 think a lot of Black people gravitate toward vegan and vegetarian diets because they care about their diets,鈥 Keis continues. 鈥淭hey want to offset some of the things that have been associated with Black folks in the culture 鈥 high blood pressure and diabetes and things like that. We鈥檝e always wanted to take care of ourselves and eat better.鈥
At Adina鈥檚 Vegan Cuisine, opened in Pagedale in 2022 by Cheryl (Adina) McKinney and her daughter Vicki (Ahturah) Jordan, McKinney points to the fact that the world of plant-based food can be tricky to navigate 鈥 especially if you鈥檙e not sure how to incorporate more vegetables into your routine. 鈥淲e make dishes that most people know and love but with a healthy twist, so the dishes aren鈥檛 completely foreign to someone who鈥檚 new or curious about vegan food,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an awakening that鈥檚 happening, and we as a community are starting to realize how important health is. The food you eat has a direct correlation with how healthy you are or will be in the future.鈥
McKinney began her journey into vegan eating more than 28 years ago after becoming ill at a restaurant and having to be hospitalized. By that point, she and her husband had already started to think about food from a health standpoint. 鈥淸That experience] felt like a clear sign to change,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淔rom there, I wanted to make sure I continued to create dishes that my family would eat and love. This got my creative juices flowing.鈥 She and Jordan have been coming up with new ideas for recipes ever since.
So far, entrepreneur and Bougie Bites STL owner Latoya Elnora Thompson has been using a food truck and ghost kitchen to prepare her vegetarian and plant-based fare. Her brick-and-mortar location is due to open this year. Thompson founded the brand because she wanted to offer plant-based food that feels 鈥渋ndulgent, familiar and accessible.鈥 She didn鈥檛 grow up vegan 鈥 nor did many people in her community, she remembers. But like McKinney, Thompson wanted to focus on creating plant-based comfort food that was anything but intimidating. 鈥淸Some] people assume vegan food is bland, overly 鈥榟ealthy鈥 or just not for them, and I love proving them wrong,鈥 she laughs. 鈥淏y making plant-based food approachable and crave-worthy, we鈥檙e creating space for more people 鈥 whether they鈥檙e vegan, plant-curious or just looking for something new 鈥 to enjoy food that aligns with their values and tastes good.鈥
Thompson says she values the link between plant-based eating and Black culture, that her restaurant ownership is part of that dialogue. And in her cooking, she aims to honor her roots while pushing positivity forward. 鈥淭he connection has always been there; it鈥檚 just evolving,鈥 she explains. 鈥淚f you look back, our ancestors were eating plant-based food long before it was called that. Fresh produce, grains, legumes 鈥 that was survival, that was culture. Now, more people in the Black community are rediscovering that.鈥
Keis remains hopeful that future generations will see continued progress 鈥 both in the growing appreciation for plant-based eating and in creating more opportunities for Black restaurant owners. 鈥淏eing a Black woman in this industry 鈥 you鈥檙e not even thinking of how hard it is because the industry in general is very hard,鈥 she explains. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been invited to the club of 鈥榯hose in the know.鈥 [As Black women], we鈥檙e constantly on the outskirts. This is not an industry designed to highlight women at all, and it鈥檚 hard for everyone. You do it because you鈥檙e passionate, and you get your customers. That鈥檚 who you鈥檙e doing it for.鈥
For Jordan, one half of Adina鈥檚, concentrating on the growth of Black-owned businesses 鈥 and nourishing 最新杏吧原创 in general 鈥 is essential. 鈥淲e just continue to do what we love to do, which is prepare delicious plant-based food and share it with the community,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e receive support from vegans and non-vegans who are black, white, men, women, et cetera, [all from] diverse backgrounds. We love serving the community, and the support we receive in return makes it all worth it.鈥
And rather than giving too much thought to the statistics, Thompson concentrates on the present moment, the matters close at hand. 鈥淏eing an entrepreneur in the food industry 鈥 comes with challenges 鈥 from being underestimated to navigating spaces that weren鈥檛 built with me in mind,鈥 she says. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 spend time thinking about who鈥檚 in the room 鈥 I focus on making sure I belong there. 鈥 What I see is a growing community of people 鈥 especially women, especially people of color 鈥 who are stepping into food spaces and changing the narrative. Representation matters: Not just in the food itself, but in who鈥檚 leading the business.鈥澛
Adina鈥檚 Vegan Cuisine, 6746 Page Ave. Ste. 120 A, 最新杏吧原创, Missouri,
Bougie Bites STL,
SweetArt and SweetArt Too, multiple locations,
