Foodies do not have to sacrifice good-tasting food to eat healthy.
Kermit Fowlkes; Tia Hamilton; and Vegan Chef Debonette Wyatt are fulfilling their mission to bring flavorful, plant-based solutions to Baltimore’s Lexington Market. The business owners and partners of My Mama’s Vegan II specialize in creating vegan versions of homestyle comfort food favorites.
“My Mama’s Vegan II is our first location of an existing brand,” Wyatt, founder of My Mama’s Vegan explained.
The vegan chef explained how she accidentally found her calling upon offering meal prep services five years ago, when her business evolved into a full-service enterprise. However, after the pandemic started, the entrepreneur’s original customer base began to disappear.
“We sold fish, chicken and all those things, but had a healthier option. I had a very small vegan menu,” Wyatt recalled. “Nobody wanted my previous menu. So, the shift with customers wanting vegan food grew very, very fast.”
Wyatt moved into a shared kitchen space. Then, Mama’s Vegan evolved into a downsized sandwich café located in Urban Reads Bookstore owned by Hamilton. Hamilton stated that she is the only Black female bookstore owner with a storefront in Baltimore City. Both Hamilton and Wyatt were known as an industrious pair who loved hosting community events. The duo agreed to merge Mama’s Vegan with Urban Reads in November of 2022.
“They [customers] were already coming in the store, and they already loved My Mama’s Vegan. When we merged together, it was dynamic. They loved the idea,” said Hamilton.
She further explained that a different vegan restaurant was supposed to open in Lexington Market but did not.
Hamilton added, “I hopped right on the opportunity to get us started in the process of getting in there. Then, I called Deb and I said, ‘That’s where we’re going.’”
Hamilton knew Fowlkes because they had already done business together. Fowlkes, also owner of Focus Movers Relocation Service, embraced the evolving My Mama’s Vegan II opportunity. A partnership was formed between the three current owners— Fowlkes, Hamilton, and Wyatt.
My Mama’s Vegan II will eventually resume as a full-service café in the future. Although it is not yet known when the permanent space will be ready, My Mama’s Vegan II is open to the public. It is located in Stall 29 upstairs in Lexington Market, 112 N. Eutaw Street in Baltimore, Maryland.
Menu highlights include mouthwatering options inspired by popular cuisines with a special focus on indulgent breakfast dishes such as a vegan sausage, egg, and cheese croissant, and a French toast triple stacker breakfast sandwich. The menu also showcases innovative plant-based recipes featuring oyster mushrooms and cauliflower. Food from Mama’s Vegan II can also be ordered through DoorDash and Grubhub food delivery.
Fowlkes stated that Lexington Market and the surrounding areas qualify as a food desert which is defined as an area that lacks access to affordable, fresh, and healthy food choices.
“We want to produce something different, and want to produce something unique, and… we want to guide them [people] in the right direction.”
Fowlkes noted that eating vegan food was not always an option for him because he lived in impoverished conditions where different food choices did not exist. He feels that providing people with an opportunity to try new food options can introduce their taste buds to something new while increasing their food knowledge.
Wyatt stated that some people believe that vegan food will not be appetizing. My Mama’s Vegan II partners pride themselves in introducing customers to unfamiliar, palatable food options.
“A lot of times people think of everything that they have to give up, but you can still have foods that you enjoy. They’re just going to be made from plants,” she reminded.
She mentioned that menu items of previous customers who enjoyed Mama Vegan’s offerings were not all vegans. Some of them wanted to try leading a healthier lifestyle that steers away from attracting health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Turning to vegan options can be a health- conscious step in the right direction.
“We look forward to introducing people to foods that are healthier,” said Wyatt.
Wyatt also reminded that running a business is hard on entrepreneurs who do not want to work themselves into the ground, but it is refreshing when reliable people can work together.
The Mama’s Vegan II team hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs to collaborate.
“Give collaboration a chance. Baltimore has so much to offer!” Chef Wyatt suggested.
Learn more about My Mama’s Vegan II by visiting www.mymamasvegan2.com and https://www.facebook.com/mymamaavegan.