For Bretta and Belinda King, veganism is a business and, more importantly, a lifestyle.
The two sisters own and run Two Vegan Sistas located at 6343 Summer Ave., #110. What originally brewed as a pipe dream in the young mind of Bretta King has blossomed into a restaurant with vegan-only options.
In 1995, Bretta made the decision to cut meat from her diet at 25 years old, and, by 29, she ventured even further by becoming a fully devout vegan.
"I've always been the different one (in my family)," Bretta said.
She attended Spelman College and got her docterate in chemistry - an achievement some of her relatives either didn't understand or support.
But when it came to her eating habits, she was able to persuade her sister - turned - business partner to make the same commitment she made two years prior.
"I've been a vegan for 12 years now," Belinda said. "(Opening a restaurant) was my sister's dream. I helped her out, and she inspired me, and it became my dream as well."
For years, Bretta was a teacher, and Belinda was in the Air Force. The likelihood of owning a restaurant seemed far-fetched.
"There was a time when I felt like I would be teaching for the rest of my life," Bretta admitted.
Although she does still teach part-time at the University of Phoenix, cooking was always a passion for her.
"I enjoy sharing food with others. It's a way for me to help their health," she continued.
After years of taking different classes and experimenting to learn how to cook tasty vegan meals, Bretta and Belinda launched Two Vegan Sistas, originally a catering company that delivered all of the meals.
They've been stationed on Summer Avenue for about a year where they offer a dine-in option.
In addition to preparing meals for in-store customers and catering events, they also offer a meal plan.
"I'm over-the-top, (and) I'm a very disciplined person. (When I first became a vegetarian) I would sit for two to three hours at the beginning of the week and plan out and prepare everything I was going to eat for the week," Bretta stated.
They take that same idea and apply it to their customer's needs. Each meal-plan is custom.
August Williams has been eating at Two Vegan Sistas for about nine months, and he has been on their meal-plan for about seven months.
"I've started seeing significant changes in my body," Williams said.
He became more aware of the food he put into his body after climbing flights of stairs at FedEx, where he works, and experiencing a tight burning sensation in his chest on more than one occasion.
During his research for better eating, he stumbled across the King's restaurant on Groupon.
Now, every Sunday and Wednesday he picks up four meals to last him the duration of the entire week.
According to Williams, it costs him $320 for 86 meals, which calculates to about $3.72 a meal, but the prices differ based on the customer's tastes and needs.
He stated that he invites people from work to the restaurant often.
"They don't know what vegan food tastes like. They're so used to Burger King and McDonald's," he said. "I miss the Big Mac and Whopper to the point that I haven't eaten them in seven months. Your body adjusts to healthier options. It recognizes good nutrition."
Williams is a Christian and said that a plant-based diet is based on the bible.
"I'm never going to leave it," he said.
It's the customers like Williams who motivate the King's to strive even harder. They wake up at 4:30 every morning to prepare all of their menu items and orders.
"Even though it's healthy, it's affordable and it tastes good. We make eating healthy convenient," Bretta said.
They are also embarking on a fundraising campaign entitled 4/4/14 in which they aspire to raise $40,000 for a food truck.
To reward donations, they have implemented incentives.
For $50 donations, they will award a free one week meal-plan. For $200, they will award a one-month meal-plan, and for $1,000 a one year meal-plan.
