Can do vegan food: Plant-based meals that hit the spot

By Stephanie Meador, posted Jan 16, 2024 on BizFayetteville.com

The date for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the new storefront has been updated to be Jan. 23 as long as all goes according to plan. Photo provided by Yoniara Harris

Yoniara and Robert Harris are expanding their hit eatery The Vegan Spot with a new brick and mortar location. The restaurant, located at 3421 Murchison Road, Suite A in Fayetteville, NC, will be the area’s first and only vegan pizzeria.

Yoniara shared that she switched over to a plant-based diet in 2016 to benefit her health. She became fully vegan in 2019 and has been vegan ever since. Seeing the positive impact this change in diet had on her own life and noting the lack of plant-based eateries in the area, Yoniara and her husband Robert set out to fill that need in the community.

According to Yoniara, the decision to expand from just a food truck to having a sit down restaurant had always been a part of the plan.

“It’s kind of crazy how everything came about, because I wasn’t even looking for a building at the time … one of our customers actually told us about the place that was vacant and the area that it’s in, I think that is something that we can work with. It’s building up around here on Murchison road and we want to be a part of cleaning up and making things better over here,” remarked Yoniara.

With the new location the team of two have expanded to a full staff which includes a general manager, a store manager and about nine team members.

All of the food and drink items sold at The Vegan Spot are 100 percent plant-based.

“With the food truck we used to sell out a lot. So because we now have a big freezer and a refrigerator to store more food I don’t see us having problems with selling out. We do have a permanent location now. So we have people coming from Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Spring Lake… there would be people that would come to Fayetteville just to come to the food truck and they were having such a hard time following us. So I mean, it’s just going to be better all around for our supporters.”

While the food truck pays homage to the area’s military community with its camo exterior, the new restaurant is dedicated to the City of Fayetteville with its personalized “Can Do” menu. The food truck will be parked in the parking lot of their new location, so guests can swing by one spot for either of their popular menus.

“The food truck is the grill where you’ll continue to get the same items like our Philly cheesesteaks, our burgers, that menu is the same. With the Can Do menu, what we’re doing, it’s a pizzeria, so you’ll be able to get different pizzas. We have different appetizers like garlic knots pepperoni croissant rolls, that you’ll be able to get. We have desserts now. It’s not just a restaurant for you to come and sit down and eat. We also have store items like different snacks that you can come and purchase, different drinks, stuff like that,” shared Yoniara.

The pizza’s are named in honor of some of Fayetteville’s most defining features. Customers can enjoy a shrimp and beef pizza called The Cape Fear Surf and Turf, a veggie pizza called The Botanical Garden, a spicy buffalo chicken pizza called The Haymount Haymaker, Can Do Calzones and more.

The Vegan Spot Owners Yoniara and her husband Robert set out to fill a need in the community. Photo provided by Yoniara Harris

Additionally, Yoniara shared that they are working on getting their license to sell alcohol and are looking at vegan wine options. Once things are up and running and the frenzy of opening settles down, she hopes to introduce small events after hours.

With more space to work in, Yoniara shared she’ll be offering meal prep services regularly to customers and the restaurant will offer catering services. On Sundays, the store will be closed to the public but will be available as a private venue for groups to host gatherings.

The food truck will operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and the restaurant will operate 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Both services are closed on Sundays (except for the case of private parties).

The date for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony has been updated to be Jan. 23 as long as all goes according to plan. Yoniara shared that some of the new equipment is still being delivered and installed. They ordered six new pizza ovens to ensure they can serve all of their hungry customers in a timely manner and they are also working on their digital menu board. While it is hard work, Yoniara shared that it’s a lot of fun and her “dream come true.”

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For more details about the menu, ordering online and to keep up with the restaurant’s journey visit www.theveganspotfaync.com.

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