Hey Orlando vegans! V’s Diner opens Saturday in Casselberry
It’s been about 18 months since popular vegan food truck V’s Diner made the announcement it’d be going brick-and-mortar, and the moment has finally arrived. The restaurant will be open for business on Aug. 19 at 908 State Road 436 in Casselberry.
“At times, I didn’t think we were going to make it to today,” V’s co-owner Mackenzie Singleton told the Orlando Sentinel. “You have to do an amazing amount of stuff behind the scenes to make something like this happen.”
It took a village between Singleton and partners Jarett Dolan and Mike Della Pia, plus a few other interested parties “who have been incredibly helpful throughout the process.”
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Eager vegans longing for the flavors they miss will be delighted to know that V’s will offer its original menu come Saturday — burgers, cheesesteaks and chicken sandwiches built on the foundation of their housemade plant-based proteins — along with plenty of new.
Singleton’s excited about the grilled, gluten-free chicken Caesar wrap, which will also be available as a salad. He says there will be more additions in the coming weeks as they get up and running.
“We’re really eager to start branching out with more gluten-friendly options,” he notes.
Orlando City Kombucha will be on hand for now, with beer and wine coming in the future, but desserts? They’re already in the mix, courtesy of JoAnn Della Pia, a baker with some 50 years of experience — who happens to be co-owner Mike Della Pia’s mom.
“She decided to make the jump to vegan baking and the results have been incredible,” says Singleton, adding that they’ll have a variety of cookies, brownies and cupcakes to start.
Though the process was arduous, Singleton enjoyed bringing the team’s retro-diner design to life.
“I got to have a lot of fun with that,” he says. “If you looked at the tile on the floor and where the pipes were coming out, you could visualize the diner set up. I sketched it up and the crew agreed. We went in that direction and we pulled it off pretty close to exactly how we’d envisioned it.”
There’s also an additional thousand square feet of space they hadn’t planned on at the outset.
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“At some point, we might add a bar there, but for now, the space (they’re calling it ‘The Green Room’) will be spillover seating as well as an events space, the Orlando area’s only exclusively vegan rental space for parties, luncheons and so forth. We’d love to maybe do comedy and live music there, too.”
The present, though, is the gift they’re enjoying as the space finally opens and the one they hope to give to those who have supported them in the past and newcomers just coming to the V’s table.
An able crew, many of whom worked at vegan favorites like Dandelion Community Cafe, Ethos Vegan Kitchen and other vegan and vegan-friendly establishments, are at the ready, says Singleton.
“The industry has changed so much in the time we’ve been gone,” he said, noting that when they first announced they’d be going brick-and-mortar, they were flooded with resumes.
“We got 27 in one day,” Singleton noted. “When we put out a call closer to opening, we were lucky to get that many in six weeks’ time.”
The good part, though, “is that these are the people you really want, the ones who feel driven to be in this industry. They have passion. We’ve ended up with some incredible people in our crew … and we’re so grateful.”
V’s Diner opens on Saturday. Moving forward, hours will be 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Thursday-Sunday. Singleton says breakfast, brunch and late-night are planned as they ramp up.
“We own the whole process now,” says Singleton, “from the food to the music to loads of parking, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday and making them happy.”
Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
