Can't Believe It's Vegan serves 'flavorful food options' at Parkview Center
Customers may be saying they “Can’t Believe It’s Vegan” at a new restaurant of the same name that celebrated a July 9 grand opening at 584 W. Schrock Road in the Parkview Center plaza.
Owner/Chief Clayton Freeman welcomed a line of invitation-only guests at the front door, during a July 8 soft opening, saying, “Welcome to the only 100% vegan restaurant in Westerville, Ohio – Can’t Believe It’s Vegan.”
Freeman said he and his wife, Kim, went vegan, just as an effort to eat better.
“We started learning more about the vegan lifestyle and how it helps the planet,” he said. “We wanted to do better for ourselves and the planet. A lot of people, when they think about vegan and veganism, they think, well, the people are doing it because they want to live to 190 years. It’s like, no, no, no, no. I want to have quality of life more than quantity of life.”
Freeman said the concept started out as a delivery service, a little over three years ago, then the couple decided to find a brick-and-mortar space.
“I always loved to cook,” he said. “I always say the best teachers I had were my mother and my father.”
Pickerington’s Kim Gray was the first to try Freeman’s cooking when it was delivery only.
“I will eat this food any and every day,” she said. “He made lettuce wraps that were amazing. There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t recommend. He makes it so enjoyable to try.”
Gray said she’s in Westerville three days a week, so she will be a frequent customer.
Dublin’s Sherry Fleury attended the soft opening to support the Freemans. She attended law school with Kim Freeman.
“I’m not a heathy eater, but I’m trying to change that as I get older,” Fleury said. “I’m a picky eater. I’m not vegan. When they started this, I ordered for the whole family. I ordered some trays and shared with my whole family. It was very good, and none of us are vegan.”
She said the restaurant's Angel Hair Chick’n Pasta is one of her favorites, featuring onions, mushrooms, peppers, baby spinach, fresh basil and garlic with chick’n pieces, angel hair pasta and topped with parmesan cheese.
“I’ve had the BBQ Jackfruit sandwich,” Fleury said. “It’s very good. I work in Delaware and Franklin counties. My plan is to stop here on my way through doing visits on my work schedule. I’ll get something healthy. I think this will work out for me.”
Kim Freeman, who has her own business, has supported her husband in multiple roles.
“When we had our delivery service, I handled the website, social media,” she said. “I’d be at all the pop ups, taking the orders. We began in November, 2018 out of the food court and ECDI."
Freeman said her husband was pretty much a one-man show. “Day to day, he’d take the order, fix the orders and deliver the orders,” she said. “We don’t use a third-party delivery assistant and we won’t here either.”
Freeman said they started looking for restaurant space in July of 2021.
“We thought we’d be in here at least two months ago,” she said. “(Customers) will be able to take food down to The Draft Room. Here, we have 25 seats. We figure we’ll have a fairly large pickup.”
Freeman said they’ve had a very large social media following and dedicated customers.
She said the Budda Bowl, jasmine rice, BBQ Jackfruit, black beans, sweet corn, Roma tomatoes, avocados and Sriracha mayo, has been popular from the beginning.
“Our BLT was named one of the best sandwiches in Columbus by Columbus Monthly magazine,” she said. “It really depends on who you ask what their favorites are. We have salads, pastas and some new menu items like no crab cakes and vegan ribs, mac and cheese.”
Business hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It’s closed on Wednesdays.
mkuhlman@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekMarla
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Can't Believe It's Vegan serves 'flavorful food options' at Parkview Center
