Frankie and Sara Segura always loved finding healthy, hip vegan restaurants. As vegans themselves, they wanted to push the boundaries beyond peoples’ preconceived notions of what a typical vegan diet looked like. They wanted to recreate meals that people already love into vegan options. They wanted to start a vegan revolution.
After relocating to Austin in 2016, they were determined to open a restaurant. However upon facing space and money issues, they realized that a food truck would be the best option. They opened Revolution Vegan Kitchen in November 2016 with a menu filled with favorites like burgers, tacos and cheesecake bites. They were the comfort foods that people expect, but made with organic, vegan ingredients. Much to the typical omnivore’s surprise, the food tasted just as good if not better than what they were used to.
Sara’s goal in opening Revolution Vegan Kitchen was to provide affordable, healthy eating to everyone. In fact, most of their customers are not vegan, but they come back simply because the food tastes good. Sara previously ran a chain of organic grocery stores so she takes care of ordering all of the ingredients. She seeks out options that are fresh, organic and gluten free if possible. Everything is made from scratch in the food truck, so that Sara and Frankie can ensure that it is truly vegan.
Both Sara and Frankie knew that the food truck competition is strong in Austin. They are competing not only with other vegan food trucks, but with every food truck in the city. They face challenges in finding the necessary supplies and vegan options, because they need ingredients that are not available everywhere. Though as vegans themselves, they were used to it, but now it is on an even bigger scale. As committed vegans themselves, they did not want their lifestyle to come off as just a trend. They are active in the vegan community, and wanted to put 100% of their effort into the food truck before expanding.
As Revolution Vegan Kitchen continues to make vegan food popular with the masses, Sara and Frankie keep pushing forward. When we first spoke, their food truck was in in Midway Park, but they have recently relocated to the South Austin Thicket Food Park. They plan to keep their menu experimental, flexible and of course delicious. Opening your own business is a struggle for everyone, so Sara and Frankie left us with a few tips after their experience. The two that stuck out were to start small and research everything. They never stop researching or changing their strategies to see what works. Just like their menu options, they have to be flexible and adjust to the constant changes in Austin.
Written by: Natalie Earhart
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