Vegan Popup
Dallas sprouts a vegan online grocery with spring pop-up on deck
Dallas is home to a vegan online grocery. Called Plant Based Grocery, it just launched a website at plantbasedgrocery.com, and will host a companion pop-up at Reverie Bakeshop in Richardson, where it will feature some of its top vegan picks.
Owners are Ryan and Lisa Manchee, who took over what was a passion project launched by a vegan who moved out of state.
"We've been part of the Dallas vegan community for nearly five years and wanted to see it prosper," Ryan says. "There are so many benefits to a plant-based lifestyle. We’re passionate about sharing all the foods that are healthier, better for the planet, and good for the animals."
There is vegan Worcestershire sauce, vegan queso, ranch dressing, vegan "jerky," Jen's Zen chocolate sauce, P-Nuff Crunch baked peanut puffs, and No Whey white-chocolate bunny lollipops.
"You can definitely find some of these items online, but maybe there are others you don't already know about, even if you're already a vegan shopper," he says. "You might know about local products but not be aware of some of these products from outside Dallas, or else items that don't yet have national distribution."
They're not looking to compete with Amazon. "Those guys are starting to carry more vegan products but they don't carry enough and it's not exclusive," he says. "You can come onto our site and not worry about checking ingredients."
They also don't stock everything. "We only stock products we think are good — these are items we've found, and that we like," he says.
"A lot of it is snacks — it's fun stuff, items you may not want to eat every day," he says. "You don't need this site to shop for produce or other staples. But we think it's good to create awareness that there are products out there, and they're pretty darn good."
One benefit for people who live in the Dallas area is that they can save on shipping by making arrangements for local pickup, and also by following their schedule of pop-ups. Their spring pop-up is March 17 at Reverie Bakeshop from 8 am-1 pm.
Ryan has a full-time job, while Lisa works as a mom. They hope to make a little money, but there's also a dose of altruism involved.
"A big focus for us on our plant-based journey has been wanting to support the community — whether it's people who are already committed to the lifestyle or those looking to try it out," he says.
