With a popular organic market offering up vegan options in Sayville, mother-and-daughter team Chloe and Cira Jones thought the town would be perfect for opening up a plant-based deli/bakery.
“She was the type of mom who made homemade yogurt and Tofutti ice cream growing up,” said Chloe of how a love of natural foods was cultivated in her youth. Working with her mother and extended family at a health club for a good portion of her life, the Jones duo decided to follow their passion and open a vegan eatery on Sunrise Highway in Sayville.
(The name, which is still being conceptualized, will be revealed in next week’s review of the vegan eatery’s sweet and savory dishes.)
Deciding on the location was both kismet and serendipitous, as a trip to swanky Eva’s Dresses one day developed into a close relationship with the owners, who were also landlords of the space that the Joneses would soon occupy with their eatery.
“I grew up in Sayville/Bohemia. It’s a very close community, so it made sense to be close to home and people we know,” said Chloe.
For menu inspiration, Chloe did have a more global approach, incorporating Latin-inspired ingredient flavors discovered through her husband, also a native Long Islander, who lived in the Bushwick/Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, where vegan establishments are not only the norm, but the high standard of plant-based cuisine.
Serving up a mix of savory dishes and sweet treats, the vegan eatery has a full menu to offer future patrons. “I’m in love with cake—the funky kinds not typically found in a bakery,” said Chloe, who has been writing recipes and working on different flavor combinations over the years, some inspired by her Sicilian grandmother.
While pregnant with her second child, Chloe went vegan/plant-based and also developed a taste for authentic Greek dishes, even learning how to roll stuffed grape leaves from her landlord.
Trying to source locally, Chloe said, “Long Island has great produce and we are all about supporting local businesses. Our menu will change often and will be seasonal and local whenever that’s an option.”
Preferring the description of “plant-based” to “vegan,” the Joneses envision a broader customer base.
“We want to be inclusive of people who normally wouldn’t eat vegan food,” said Chloe.
And that scene is one that appears to be burgeoning in Sayville, with the opening of likeminded and progressive spaces like The Flow Collective on Railroad Avenue and the growing artist population in town. With a base of Cornucopia-goers, runners who jog with dogs, and a vibe of people who enjoy wholesome ingredients and rustic cooking, Sayville is an open-arms recipient of plant-based fare.
“We are a family who like flavor and soul in our food,” said Chloe.
With the graffiti art emblazoned on the interior wall featuring the spiritual mantra of the eatery, the Joneses’ artistic and metropolitan sensitivities are on full display.
“I always loved the souls of the city and Brooklyn— graffiti, music, late-night shows—when we saw what was originally in the space, it complimented that aesthetic, so we ran with it,” said Chloe.
Finding a type of beauty and balance in plant-based foods, a soft sounding name will be chosen to contrast to the “hip-hop, industrial aspects” in an urban ballet of collaboration.
“We know that the vegan community shows up for each other with so much love and support, but we also felt like the Sayville/Long Island community as a whole was ready for it.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here