Firefly Cafe, located at 12 N. Reading Ave. in Boyertown, ushered in the new year with a fully vegan menu, replacing its dairy cheeses with plant-based alternatives.
“This is something we always hoped to do,” explained Loriann Wade, who owns and operates Firefly Cafe with her husband Michael Martinez. “Since opening, we slowly started to remove dairy items from the menu with positive feedback from our customers.”
The announcement drew high praise and support from Firefly’s Facebook community.
“The improved quality of vegan cheeses and our customers’ responses to those cheeses has made the transition from vegetarian to vegan pretty seamless,” said Wade.
Going vegan is only the first of several big changes in store for Firefly Cafe in 2017. Later this month, the cafe will introduce a grab and go section, featuring items such as vegan chicken and egg salad sandwiches, vegan sides like potato and quinoa salads and house-made vegan dressings.
Then, in fall 2017, Wade and Martinez have plans to open a vegan general store adjacent to the cafe. Here, customers will be able to purchase prepared grab and go items, specialty and hard to find vegan products, natural bath and body products and even holistic dog treats.
“Our expansion plans have drawn a positive response. There’s a huge need for this type of vegan outpost in the area,” said Wade.
To compliment the cafe and general store, Wade and Martinez look to expand Firefly’s catering services and introduce vegan cooking classes. Firefly will also continue to host vegan pop-up cafes throughout the region-like the Caribbean-inspired vegan fare the cafe offers during monthly Reggae Nights at The Other Farm Brewing Company.
Located in the heart of Boyertown, Firefly Cafe is a vegan restaurant that offers organic, gluten-free and locally sourced food options. For more information, visit <fireflycafeboyertown.com>.
