In a new booming market, plant-based restaurant owners were forced to overcome obstacles to provide healthy food to their communities. Making their cities a better place is the gas that fills these entrepreneurs’ tanks.
Food isn’t the only thing made from scratch and lots of love at Vegan Taste Catering in Detroit.
Pr’phec Hamilton, 23, has worn many hats to ensure the vision of her business comes into fruition. She was willing to break all barriers to succeed, especially being as a young African American woman from Detroit’s east side.
Hamilton is not only the chef and CEO of Vegan Taste Catering, but the entrepreneur who was willing to get her hands dirty and become the contractor.
It was a family affair. Hamilton and her cousin, Zachary Crawford, completely renovated the building that’s now home to not only Vegan Taste Catering, but Hypewhore Vintage and Current Art Studio, which is owned by Crawford. The pair built the bars, installed the drywall, everything, with YouTube being their only teacher.
Hamilton and Crawford did not let any barriers stand in their way. Difficulties ranged from harsh weather to the cost of renovations, and more.
“We were in here working with no heat. We were here in the winter. Negative. Five. Degrees.” said Hamilton. Crawford and Hamilton have been renovating this building since 2018.
“We’re here literally building. Building the bars. Building the walls. Because those will cost a lot of money to outsource.” said Hamilton.
What was the motivation behind Hamilton and Crawford’s determination? “I want to provide a healthier venue for the city.” said Hamilton. “I just wanted to bring different light to the city.”
The shared vision between Hamilton and Crawford was to create a on- stop shop for Detroiters. “There’s not a lot of places where you can go and grab a bite to eat and just enjoy yourself and have a good time. So that’s what we wanted to do” said Hamilton. Their goal is to create an atmosphere that attracts not only Detroiters, but tourists as well.
Being Detroit-raised, Hamilton infuses little pieces of Detroit into every aspect of her business.
“I kind of try to mimic Detroit dishes that we’re famous for, like Asian corned beef egg rolls,” she said. Vegan Taste Catering offers a Philly cheesesteak egg roll, which is the chef’s version of corned beef egg rolls, a dish that is trending throughout the city of Detroit.
Hamilton constantly provides opportunities for vegan Detroiters to enjoy the food they love while being completely plant based, which is probably why “Detroit Authentic Cuisine,” is included in the name of her company.
“I put that on there because I wanted it to signify that we’re from the city,” said Hamilton. “A business grown from … a city like Detroit.” Vegan Taste Catering is deeper than food. It is a way to provide the city with an outlet.
As self made as Pr’phec Hamilton is, one wonders where this entrepreneurial spirit was born.
Hamilton had a lemonade stand where she made $250 a day, selling lemonade and fresh baked cookies, from ages 7 to 13.
Hamilton also started cooking at an early age alongside her mother and grandmother. Eventually cooking for her siblings regularly. “I’ve always cooked for them growing up, so it just kind of followed me” said Hamilton. “and I really, really enjoy it. I like seeing people’s faces when they eat my food.”
Hamilton was first selling dinners while attending Michigan State University. But her entrepreneurial spirit did not start in college
Vegan Taste Catering is more than your average vegan restaurant in Detroit. It tells a story of what persistence, hard work, and passion can bring.
If you would like to taste a little bit of the Motor City, follow this link to be redirected and place your online order.
Veg-N
It all started with a food truck and a vision in Lansing.
Michigan State University alum] Christabelle Dozeman had a vision of providing easy, delicious, and healthy food to the citizens of Ingham County. “We want Lansing to be known for being vegan and having good options,” said Dozeman.
However, it took a lot of work and pivots to get Veg-N where it is today.
Starting out as a food truck, Veg-N had limited space. They were forced to design a menu with limited options, without seeming restricted. How did Veg-N do it? The founders decided to create a menu that lets customers customize their food, allowing them to maximize their limited space.
But space wasn’t the only obstacle Veg-N had to overcome. Setting up the trailer and operating it took a lot of time. It just wasn’t feasible to move the truck around. They had a spot where they were permanently parked, but due to Lansing city ordinances that did not work out.
It was time to pivot. The market was doing well, so the founders knew it wasn’t time to move on.
“I think that’s an important thing for entrepreneurs to recognize,” Dozeman said. “Either it’s time to pivot or move on.” For Veg-N it wasn’t the right time. It was time to get a location.
“With COVID we knew drive-thru was the future,” said Dozeman. “So, we set our sights to find a drive-thru.” Purchasing the drive-thru also came with obstacles, which the Veg-N team persevered and overcame. It took months cleaning out the former A&W facility and preparing it for opening.
Today, Veg-N is open six days a week.
They have overcome a lot of challenges to get where they are. They’re looking ahead into a brighter future. They wish to one day make a dent in the sustainable food chain.
“We’re working towards opening up a warehouse so we can grow all the produce that we serve to people,” said Dozeman. Providing fresh quality food to the people of Lansing. The Veg-N held onto their vision and built something beautiful.
“Things started happening,” said Dozeman. “We started a food truck and that food truck turned into a drive-thru.”