Why This Plant-Based Café Went Virtual in ‘One More Pandemic Pivot’ – NBC Chicago

In September, the Oak Cliff plant-based cafe and market recipe temporarily closed its doors to the public in what owner Tisha Crear described as “another pandemic pivot.”

“This, I thought, should be our great lifelong chance to reinvent everything.”

Ten days without sales are certainly a risk for the small juice bar. But it is a strategic risk that Crear’s hopes will bear fruit in the weeks and months to come.

Taking a break from kitchen operations meant more time to focus on the future, which for Recipe now includes a range of online courses and workshops.

The offers include an introduction to raw and live vegan foods or foods that have not been cooked above 118 degrees and may therefore be richer in certain nutrients. Series like “Bless Your Cup” focus on recipes for juice, smoothies and tea.

According to Nielsen, sales of fresh fruit, vegetables and plant-based foods have been growing in double digits for two years. Still, most polls only count vegans as 2 to 6 percent of the US population.

But Crear’s courses aren’t just for vegans; They are for everyone who wants to eat healthily. And teaching online means their reach is no longer limited to Dallas locals or tourists. As the winter season approaches, she hopes her clientele will grow as people seek out immune-boosting diets.

Crear’s overarching mission will always be to help her community participate in its own development. The pandemic, she said, is a shock to create the world we want to see.

“You know, the beautiful one. The beautiful world we want to see. “

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