The Jacksonville-based health brand, KraVegan, is debuting its first sit-down restaurant this summer and its flagship at the Orange Park Mall will close this week, co-owner and chief executive officer Latasha Kaiser confirms.
The sit-down is slated to open this summer at 1518-1520 Hendricks Avenue in Jacksonville, aspiring to be a complete expansion of the health brand that she started with her husband, Lew, in 2018. Its expanded sit-down menu will offer similar homemade vegan fare with a Southern Soul slant available at its flagship. The new concept hopes to become a community hub, offering local artist shows and karaoke night events. The space will also have a smoothie and juice bar, as well as a cozy outdoor seating area. Its hours are slated to be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, as well as offering Saturday brunch. It will be closed on Sundays.
“It’s a complete expansion of the brand,” she tells What Now Jacksonville. “I often say I think [Americans] just need a home-cooked meal and a hug.”
The couple were inspired to go vegan after watching the award-winning documentary What The Health when it debuted in 2017. It bills itself as exposing the corruption and collusion between big businesses, particularly pharmaceutical companies and agribusinesses, and the U.S. government, which incentivizes imposing harmful chemicals and genetically modified substances into our food systems to keep us sick and dependent on pharmaceutical drugs.
“By 30 minutes [into the documentary], we were sold,” she says. “We were not interested in the constantly revolving door of prescription drugs. We believe food is medicine. I get that Americans are great at band-aids but that’s never been my lifestyle. Let’s get to the root, so we can heal ourselves.”
The journey initially started as a personal one but it took some time for Lew to give up animal products, particularly eggs, which he was fond of eating ever since growing up on a Green Cove Springs farm where fresh produce was abundant. Ultimately she was able to convince him after vouching for the vast improvements she noticed in her health and well-being upon making the switch.
She continued to perfect her homemade recipes to be full of flavor and texture, eventually realizing that she had a lucrative business idea in her hands.
“Food is a big social connector,” she says. “People don’t want to take drugs and pop pills.”
She tries to spread her message through word of mouth, connecting with local health practitioners like chiropractors and even church communities to raise awareness about the vegan health movement.
Fan-favorites of its flagship menu include but are not limited to its kraveyback ribz made with mushroom and jackfruit. It also serves their signature kratacos, krabuns, krahoagies, kraspecialities ranging from ackee breakfast scramble to nacho chik’n tenders, krafries and krasides.
It also sells its own sauce line that is currently available at Jacksonville Beach’s Native Sun Kitchen & Market. Each are sold for $11 or for bulk of all four at $40. Its sauces include a Kraviyaki Sauce, Sweet Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce, Smokey Mesquite BBQ Sauce and signature Krave Sauce. She hopes to be able to sell her sauces via Amazon in the future.
