Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by supporting these seven innovative plant-based Hispanic businesses.
Across the country, Hispanic entrepreneurs are redefining classic flavors and dishes through a plant-based lens, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice taste or culture to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle! Check out seven of our favorite businesses below.
1. Next Stop Vegan – New York, NY
Next Stop Vegan, founded by Blenlly Mena, is a vegan Dominican restaurant that just opened its second location in Brooklyn, NY! I stopped by to try its famous empanadas (even more delicious than I anticipated), as well as the vegan mofongo with fried oyster mushrooms. This dish was so amazing that I purposely saved leftovers so that I could enjoy it again the next day!
2. Siete – Available Nationwide
You’ve likely seen Mexican American brand Siete in the grocery store, with its fun and colorful packaging that speaks to the incredible amount of flavor in its products. Siete was founded by Veronica Garza and her family with a mission to create traditional Mexican food products that are good for you and the planet. Siete’s delicious plant-based Mexican staples like refried beans, grain-free tortillas, staple seasonings, and even Mexican wedding cookies certainly accomplish this!
3. Mikuna – Available Nationwide
Move over peas, soy, and hemp, there’s a new plant protein on the market: Chocho. Chocho is a lupin and actually isn’t new at all—it has been cultivated by Andean farmers for thousands of years. Founded by fifth-generation Ecuadorian farmer and former professional athlete, Ricky Echanique, Mikuna offers Chocho-based protein powders that are gluten free, lectin-free, vegan, keto and paleo-friendly.
4. Vegan Cuban Cuisine – Miami, FL
Based in Miami, FL, Vegan Cuban Cuisine “aims to cater to both vegan and non-vegan customers, enticing the latter to embrace a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.” It serves up mouthwatering plant-based versions of classic Cuban specialties, like Imperial Rice (my personal favorite of its offerings), guava and cheese pastelitos, croquetas, and more.
5. NotCo – Available Nationwide
Chilean company NotCo uses the transformative power of AI (a patented platform called “Giuseppe”) to replicate animal products with plants in hopes of creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly food industry. NotCo currently offers “NotMilk,” “NotBurger,” and “NotChicken,” with even more additions on the horizon—we’ll stay tuned!
6. El Palote Panadería – Dallas, Texas
El Palote is Dallas, Texas’s very first vegan Mexican restaurant! Though it started as a non-vegan restaurant with vegan options only sold on Thursdays, its vegan options became so popular that it eventually transitioned to fully plant-based! As both a panadería and taqueria, El Palote ensures that you can satisfy your sweet tooth AND your taco cravings.
7. Bar Bambón – Philadelphia, PA
If you’re looking for the best plant-based tapas and tequila in Philly, look no further than Bar Bambón! Founded by Nicole Marquis (the same innovator behind other popular veg restaurants like HipCityVeg and Charlie Was a Sinner), Bar Bambón serves up Puerto Rican classics with a plant-based twist.