Brick City Vegan’s founder and chef make plant-based food that’s eye-rollingly luscious.
Do vegans take joy in food?
At the fast-casual Brick City Vegan in Newark and Montclair, they certainly do: relishing plant-based food that’s eye-rollingly luscious.
“People have this idea that vegan food is bland and boring,” says founder Adenah Bayoh. “But our diners tell us our food is amazing. And the majority of our customers aren’t even vegan—they just love what we make.”
Bayoh’s confidence is buoyed by her harrowing journey from Africa to Newark as well as her entrepreneurial track record. Schooled in business management at Fairleigh Dickinson University, she’s passionate about bringing high-quality dining and warm hospitality to urban communities. Her personal mission, she says, is “to help Black girls believe in themselves, follow their dreams and never let anyone say, ‘You can’t do this.’” Bayoh owns four Cornbread Farm to Soul restaurants (in Newark, Maplewood, Montclair and Brooklyn), a quartet of New Jersey IHOP franchises and several real-estate projects.
