Three years ago, Danielle Stevens and her family decided to go vegan. A family decision to eat healthily and work to save animals quickly turned into a passion, prompting Stevens to start a vegan restaurant in Brandon.
Vine Vegan opened on December 1, 2022. Stevens’ menu combines her passion for healthy, plant-based eating; bringing the community together; and creating dishes with a rich background of culture.
“I’m really excited to have a place where people can make memories with their families. … They get to do that in the comfort of a beautiful restaurant,” said Stevens.
Stevens was born and raised in America, but her mother is from England and her father was from South America. The Vine Vegan owner grew up in the kitchen creating flavorful dishes that honored all aspects of her heritage on the same menu.
“I kind of took things from all the different avenues of my life to come up with an eclectic menu that could satisfy anybody’s taste buds,” said Stevens.
The diverse menu of Vine Vegan includes comfort foods, superfood bowls, specialty lattes and other dishes for all customers. Stevens said around 65 percent of her customers are not vegan but come to enjoy the flavorful, healthy foods offered in her store.
Vine Vegan was originally scheduled to open on Veterans Day in 2022 to honor Stevens’ father, who served as a colonel in the army. However, an issue with the hood system two days before its grand opening delayed the opening three weeks.
In October of 2019, Stevens’ father died of heart disease despite a healthy and active lifestyle. Stevens saw a documentary called The Game Changers and saw the benefits of plant-based eating. With her family, they decided to start eating vegan to reduce their own chances of getting heart disease and increase their lifespan.
Now, Stevens and her 17 employees serve the Brandon community every day by providing a comfortable, homely atmosphere and good food for all guests.
Vine Vegan is located at 2080 Badlands Dr. in Brandon off Brandon Parkway.
To view the menu or sign up for the newsletter, visit https://vinevegan.com/. For more information, call 813-939-8463 or email eat@vinevegan.com.
