Black Leaf Vegan
| Black Leaf Vegan | |
|---|---|
 Black Leaf Vegan food truck at the 2023 Indiana State Fair. | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2021 |
| Owner(s) | Taria and Derrick Slack |
| Chef | Taria Slack |
| Street address | 335 West 9th Street |
| City | Indianapolis |
| County | Marion County |
| State | Indiana |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 46202 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | https://blackleafvegan.com/ |
Black Leaf Vegan is a restaurant, food truck operator, and caterer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Noted for its all-vegan offerings and for being a Black-owned family business active in community advocacy, it gained rapid popularity after being established in early 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The menu is described as all-vegan burgers, brats, tacos, and nachos, with the popular items being a bacon ranch burger and loaded nachos.[1][2] Black Leaf Vegan was reported to be Indiana's first vegan food truck.[3]
Creation
[edit]Black Leaf Vegan was founded as a food truck by married couple Taria and Derrick Slack in spring 2021.[4] Both Slacks were involved in education while also pursuing entrepreneurship. Derrick Slack was a teacher at Pike High School at the time, while Taria Slack, an education advocate, was elected to the on the Indianapolis Public Schools school board from 2019 to 2023.[5] The Slacks went vegan 6 years prior for health reasons, after the death of Taria's mother, and had a goal of promoting healthier food options in the underserved neighborhood.[1] When restaurants started closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Slacks decided to open the food truck in their neighborhood. The Slacks have 3 daughters, all of whom work in the business and are also part owners—in order to promote generational wealth.[1]
In 2023, Black Leaf Vegan was awarded a $10,000 grant by The Coramino Fund, provided by Kevin Hart, who founded his own vegan restaurant chain.[6][7] The Slacks stated that they were planning a podcast sharing their perspectives on business and healthy lifestyles.[7]
Food trucks
[edit]The food truck operated out of the Riverside neighborhood, a historically Black area on the northwest side of Indianapolis, and was typically parked outside Cleo's Bodega—another local socially conscious Black-owned coffee shop and convenience store.[8] In 2021, it was reported Black Leaf Vegan was Indianapolis' only all-vegan food truck.[8] At the 2021 Indiana State Fair, Black Leave Vegan became the first-ever all-vegan food vendor, serving a meatless loaded bratwurst, among other menu options; they returned every year since, with other offerings including a vegan loaded nachos and a jackfruit sandwich.[4][9][2][10]
While still in a truck, Black Leaf Vegan offered online ordering.[11] The business also began operating a second truck out of the Madam Walker Legacy Center parking lot on Indiana Ave.[11] In 2022, it was one of the top 5 vegan restaurants in Indianapolis on Yelp.[11] In September 2022, the food truck served at BUTTER Art Fair.[2] In the fall of 2022, Black Leaf Vegan introduced a new, larger food truck, made from a converted bus, to serve coffee and smoothies alongside food, and began operating it twice weekly at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.[12]
Cafe
[edit]In October 2022, Black Leaf Vegan opened its first physical location, Black Leaf Vegan Café, in downtown Indianapolis at 335 W. 9th St., in the ground floor of an apartment building.[12][13][2] The new restaurant allowed Black Leaf Vegan to expand their offerings to include more breakfast, drinks, and varied entrees. The brick and mortar location offers branded coffees, tea, shakes, smoothies.[12] With morning hours, the café serves vegan bacon, breakfast sandwiches, and a daily quiche.[2] Expanded entree options at the cafe include vegan lasagna and jackfruit sliders.[12] The Slacks are planning to open future locations, including potentially in the Broad Ripple neighborhood.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c COOPER, BREANNA (2021-07-19). "Food truck promotes community health, generational wealth". Indiana Minority Business Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b c d e Kirts, Terry (2022-12-08). "Black Leaf Vegan Gets Rooted Downtown". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ McGOWAN, CHLOE (2024-02-02). "Black-owned restaurants to try during NBA All-Star Weekend". Indianapolis Recorder. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b Krowiak, Suzanne (2021-08-30). "Black Leaf Vegan Food Truck Is A Green Machine". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Barrett, Carter (2019-01-07). "New Era For IPS School Board As 3 Members Sworn In, Including 2 District Critics". WFYI Public Media. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b "From a food truck to a cafe, Black Leaf Vegan finds success in Indy". WRTV Indianapolis. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b Martinez, Jocelyn. "Vegan Restaurateur Kevin Hart Gives $10K Grants to 2 Vegan Businesses ". VegNews.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b "Local vegan food truck drives through Indy to make healthy food accessible". WRTV Indianapolis. 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Jackson, Cheryl V. "These are the Indiana State Fair's best new deep fried, BBQ sauce smothered treats to try". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "Foods from the fair: We ate 12 items and ranked them from worst to best". Indianapolis Star. 2024-08-11.
- ^ a b c Robinson, Harper (2022-09-02). "Top 5 vegan restaurants in Indy, according to Yelp". Fox59. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ a b c d Jackson, Cheryl V. (2022-08-18). "Black Leaf Vegan to open café in downtown Indy". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ McGOWAN, CHLOE (2023-11-02). "'Try it, you might like it': Indy's Black-owned vegan restaurants are making waves in the community". Indianapolis Recorder. Retrieved 2024-11-12.