Operations
Urban Vegan rebrands as Brick City Vegan
April 27, 2023
With vegan and flexitarian diets rising in popularity, New Jersey-based Brick City Vegan, formerly known as Urban Vegan, is hoping to offer a modernized take on the plant-based dining experience.
"Brick City is what Newark is known for — the housing complexes and the bricks," CEO Adenah Bayoh said in a company press release. "The name change was to pay homage to this beautiful, complex city that built itself back from the riots of the 70s and built itself up from brick city projects. It's now one of the hottest cities in the country. "This is the city I grew up in. I grew courage from the people. Just like the city, the restaurant was built from the ground up. It was built from embracing Newark's beauty, history and character."
Located at 915 Broad St., the restaurant is avoiding high-priced menus and is committed to bringing affordable plant-based dishes to anyone living in the heart and soul of Newark, according to Bayoh, who is also the founder of New Jersey-based Cornbread as well as an IHOP franchisee.
"A lot of talk on food insecurity during the pandemic opened my eyes to inequities within urban America," she said in the release. "Through that journey, it became a matter of creating a concept that gives back to the community in a thoughtful, meaningful way."
Also, all customers are welcome at Brick City Vegan, whether they practice a plant-based diet or not.
"Some people have this phobia to try vegan food," Bayoh said in the release. "At Brick City Vegan, we just want you to enjoy a good meal that happens to be plant-based. People come here for the vibe. We serve emotions on a plate and not everyone gets that. We are selling friendships and community, not just vegan food."
