The owners of Vegeria, the acclaimed vegan restaurant on Broadway near Loop 410, are opening a new Southside location called Viva Vegeria! and have started a crowd funding campaign to help finance the endeavor.
The new location is at 1422 Nogalitos, about a block north of the new two-story H-E-B and the Collins Gardens Library, which is currently being enlarged and remodeled.Viva Vegeria! will be larger than the original Vegeria and will have a shaded outdoor patio.
Viva Vegeria! will be a quick one-mile drive along Nogalitos from SoFlo and the Blue Star area. The grand opening is slated for August 17.
In a 2012 review of the original Vegeria, Lauren A. Silva wrote in the San Antonio Current, “Gone are the days when vegans must pass up on tacos and enchiladas and delectable desserts — they just have to drive to the far end of Broadway at Loop 410. But once they get there, Vegeria allows those with special diets to enjoy all the comforting fare this city has to offer.”
In a press release about the new restaurant, business partner Mark Voelkel and Vegeria founder and chef Fred Anthony Garza say they aim “to feed the masses and educate the city on issues like cultural preservation through food, healthy eating, urban gardening, farm-to-table movement, and organic seasonal farming.”
Vegeria menu items photographed by Steven Gilmore for the San Antonio Current in 2012.
Garza says his menus are inspired by his grandmother’s recipes, which he says have “legacy and love,” and he wants to share them with a new generation.
“If we don’t keep cooking the food of our ancestors no one will. If we want our children and grandchildren to know what real Tex-Mex food is we must keep creating it, sharing it and serving it, and letting it evolve. We must be proud of our food and culture,” says Garza.
To help raise funds for the new restaurant, Voelkel and Garza have started an Indiegogo page where contributions can be made. Their goal is to raise $10,000. As of July 14 they had surpassed the $3000 mark.
Contributors will be rewarded with a gift depending on the size of their contribution. A $10 donation earns you a digital download of an exclusive Vegeria recipe collection. A $75 contribution scores a T-shirt and a $250 contribution gets you 25 percent off all Viva Vegeria! orders for one full year.
