CHAPEL HILL — Nested inside a local, family-owned coffee shop, customers will find a rare resource for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area — Coco Bean Vegan Market. This newly-opened 100% all-vegan market is the only one of its kind in Central North Carolina offering a wide variety of plant-based products, including foods, artisan chocolates, and gifts.
The vegan market is a natural expansion of Coco Bean Coffee Shop and Cafe, which opened its doors in September of 2016 and won Chapel Hill Magazine’s 2018 Best Coffee Shop in Chapel Hill. The eco-friendly cafe offers a bounty of vegan baked goods, pastries, and fresh farmer’s market foods like grain bowls, salads, tamales and soups, all made by local bakers and chefs. Many selections are gluten-free, as well.
As a natural complement to this, Coco Bean Vegan Market offers pre-packaged vegan and gluten-free foods, including refrigerated and frozen grocery items, making it easy for customers to grab a basket, stock up and go. Both the cafe and the vegan market provide options for consumers with other food allergies or sensitivities, as well as simple grab n’ go or heat-up-at-the-shop items.
Inside the cozy and well-stocked market space, customers will also find candles, essential oils, skincare products, sundries and gifts made by local artists. In addition, there are great reads and resources from the mini bookshop, specializing in plant-based living and vegan cookbooks, as well as subjects like mindfulness, minimalism and creative journaling.
“We’ve enjoyed amazing growth in this wonderful community of ours and are so heartened by the kind feedback,” said Tamara Lackey, who co-owns Coco Bean Coffee Shop and Coco Bean Vegan Market, along with her husband, Steve. “The initial response from our customers was even more enthusiastic than we’d hoped for, and we’re delighted at how quickly the market has taken off.”
Coco Bean Vegan Market seeks to meet increasing customer demand for more vegan and vegetarian options, and plant-based owners Tamara and Steve Lackey are ahead of the curve on this upward trend in the food industry. Sales of plant-based food increased by 20% in 2018 over the previous year, which amounts to over $3.3 billion, according to data from Nielsen and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).
The Economist and Forbes magazines published articles declaring 2019 as the Year of the Vegan. Uber Eats reports vegan meals as the most-ordered trend of 2018. And, Grub Hub reports vegan burritos as the most popular food in 2018. The food industry continues to see a steep rise in demand for eco-friendly, plant-based, meat-free diets nationwide.
For more details, contact Kim Pollard or Anna-Rhesa Versola at 919-883-9003 or [email protected].
