No animals will be harmed in the making of a diner coming soon to Oakland County.
A pair of entrepreneurs who’ve joined forces have plans to open a new café called The Modern Vegan at 304 N. Main St. in downtown Royal Oak.
The restaurant will operate from a 2,900 square-foot storefront at the Main North Lofts mixed-use development just north of Eleven Mile.
The Modern Vegan will move into a building that’s sat vacant for the past four months, the former quarters of the now-shuttered Tapped Coffee. It’ll sit next door to Star Lanes at Emagine Royal Oak, movie theater and bowling alley that anchors the development.
Owners Jennifer Benson and Natasha Burrell formed the holding company Legacy Lease, LLC, which signed a five-year lease to occupy the site.
Burrell, by trade, is a cosmetologist who’s owned Stamped Salon and Spa in Eastpointe for the past six years. Meanwhile, Benson is an author that has owned the George Publishing company since 2012.
They’re working together with project manager Karen Kahn, a restauranteur that co-owned the Nosh Pit, a vegan eatery that had a short-lived stint in the same storefront.
“She has a lot of experience opening restaurants — a vegan restaurant as well,” Benson said during a public hearing before Royal Oak city officials Monday. “So we’re utilizing her team and her chefs to guide us and support us along the way.”
City council okayed the duo’s plan of operations this week. Benson and Burrell intend to open after they get liquor license approval from the state. Their site plan proposed 76 interior seats with an indoor bar, and seating for 40 more patrons outside.
The Modern Vegan will have 100 percent vegan food along with wines and alcohols, some of which will also be vegan.
“It’s not just for vegans. It’s for anyone who likes to try a healthy alternative to modern classics — like maybe mac and cheese, cheeseburgers and things like that,” Burrell said.
Owners plan to serve breakfast skillets, appetizers, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, salads and full-course American fare entrees. They described it as a menu of “vegan comfort food” geared to accommodate their vegan base as well as customers who may still indulge in animal products.
“Comfort food is more like those meat alternatives that replicate what you may already be accustomed to if you’re not vegan,” Benson said. “So it really makes it an easy transition if you’re trying to become vegan or if you want some vegan food that’s not so vegan-ey.”
