Description
VeganHood is an 100% plant-based restaurant that started out as carry-out and delivery only restaurant located in Harlem, NYC on the famous 135th Street, on the second floor of a 4-story walk-up. (New dine in location 2100 Frederick Douglas Blvd) Our meals are made with love and created to give a premium taste with our signature herbs, spices, and sauces. Our flavors derive from Caribbean and American cuisines.
VeganHood was birthed April of 2020 at the top of the COVID pandemic, by two African American women, Janine Smalls and Lanise Herman Thomas. Lanise and Janine, started VeganHood, just selling seamoss and handcrafted tea inside of a shared kitchen with no visibility and no marketing. Lanise and Janine felt compelled to start VeganHood due to the alarming death rate of the people in their community and the financial hardship they were facing trying to keep the doors open to their 501c3 non-profit youth organization, Young Excellence Society – YES Academy.
VeganHood’s Mission: Is to bridge the gap between “The Hood” and veganism. VeganHood’s
initial purpose was two-fold, 1). To give people within the community “the hood” healthier food
options, with a nostalgic and familiar taste, and teas and seamoss that would help enhance and
strengthen their immune systems during the COVID pandemic; and 2). To help keep the center
doors stay open for inner-city/at-risk youth during the COVID pandemic. VeganHood’s serves up
its meals in a creative, fun, memorable way, naming the meals after terms used in “the hood”
such as, Ayo (Ayo Gyro – Chicken or Lamb Gyro) and What’s Good (What’s Good – smothered
chix’n with 2 sides), as well as areas of the hood, such as Bedstuy (Bedstuy Shrimp Fry) which is
an area located in Brooklyn, NY, and St. Nicholas (St. Nick Chix – Buffalo’d or Fried) just to name
a few.