Vegan and butcher shop might not seem like they go in the same sentence, but that’s exactly what Vida’s Plant Based Butcher will bring to the Fifth by Northwest area.
Occupying the former home of Dada Empanada at 1724 Northwest Blvd., Unit C, Vida’s will be a butcher shop and deli combo powered by Truly Vida.
Truly Vida has already made a name for itself in the vegan community, offering wholesale, plant-based proteins to local restaurants since 2018. While finding wholesale success working with eateries like Dirty Frank’s, North High Brewing, 4th and State, Eden Burger and more, CEO & Founder Carl Underwood IV wanted an opportunity to sell directly to the public.
“I want people to be able to buy this and experience it at home and make it for themselves and their family,” Underwood says.
Underwood has been plant-based for 17 years, initially starting Truly Vida because he was tired of not having enough options.
Now through its deli and butcher shop menus, Vida’s will give vegans the chance to nosh on classics they might otherwise miss out on, from cold cuts and cheese, to beans & franks and Reubens.
While Vida’s will have the look and feel of a normal butcher, the menu is 100% vegan. A wide variety of traditional butcher and deli staples will get a vegan spin, with everything from plant-based chicken, turkey, smoked ham, and pepperoni, to corned beef, bacon and sausage.
Cheeses are also all-plant based and several are soy-free. Underwood says they are working hard to produce vegan cheeses that are tasty and melt, while being as allergen-free as possible. Vida’s will stock provolone, havarti, mozzarella, cheddar and other flavored cheeses, as well as a few aged varieties. The aged cheeses are cashew-based with flavors like blue cheese and smoked gouda.
Vida’s will also serve deli-style food – cold cut sandwiches like BLTs and Reubens, and other sides that open up the possibilities of what can be vegan. For dine-in guests, the restaurant will have a few seats inside its small space, but largely accommodate diners on its new patio with seating for 25-30 people.
The coronavirus pandemic may have delayed Vida’s opening, but it only gave them more time to work on the menu, Underwood says. Continued distribution through Truly Vida’s wholesale channels has helped to keep things going while they completely gutted and rebuilt the space over the last eight months.
Vida’s plans to open in the next few weeks. To start out, the butcher shop and deli will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
For more information, visit vidasbutcher.com.
