Black Leaf Vegan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Black Leaf Vegan | |
|---|---|
 Black Leaf Vegan food truck at the 2023 Indiana State Fair. | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2021 |
| Owner(s) | Taria and Derrick Slack |
| Chef | Taria Slack |
| Location | 335 West 9th Street, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, 46202, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°46′45″N 86°9′52″W / 39.77917°N 86.16444°W |
| Website | https://blackleafvegan.com/ |
Black Leaf Vegan is a restaurant, food truck operator, and caterer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Noted for its all-vegan offerings and for being a Black-owned family business active in community advocacy, it gained rapid popularity after being established in early 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The menu is described as all-vegan burgers, brats, tacos, and nachos, with the popular items being a bacon ranch burger and loaded nachos.[1][2] Black Leaf Vegan was reported to be Indiana's first vegan food truck.[3]
Black Leaf Vegan was founded as a food truck by married couple Taria and Derrick Slack in spring 2021.[4] Both Slacks were involved in education while also pursuing entrepreneurship. Derrick Slack was a teacher at Pike High School at the time, while Taria Slack, an education advocate, was elected to the on the Indianapolis Public Schools school board from 2019 to 2023.[5] The Slacks went vegan 6 years prior for health reasons, after the death of Taria's mother, and had a goal of promoting healthier food options in the underserved neighborhood.[1] When restaurants started closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Slacks decided to open the food truck in their neighborhood. The Slacks have 3 daughters, all of whom work in the business and are also part owners—in order to promote generational wealth.[1]
In 2023, Black Leaf Vegan was awarded a $10,000 grant by The Coramino Fund, provided by Kevin Hart, who founded his own vegan restaurant chain.[6][7] The Slacks stated that they were planning a podcast sharing their perspectives on business and healthy lifestyles.[7]
Food trucks
The food truck operated out of the Riverside neighborhood, a historically Black area on the northwest side of Indianapolis, and was typically parked outside Cleo's Bodega—another local socially conscious Black-owned coffee shop and convenience store.[8] In 2021, it was reported Black Leaf Vegan was Indianapolis' only all-vegan food truck.[8] At the 2021 Indiana State Fair, Black Leave Vegan became the first-ever all-vegan food vendor, serving a meatless loaded bratwurst, among other menu options; they returned every year since, with other offerings including a vegan loaded nachos and a jackfruit sandwich.[4][9][2][10]
While still in a truck, Black Leaf Vegan offered online ordering.[11] The business also began operating a second truck out of the Madam Walker Legacy Center parking lot on Indiana Ave.[11] In 2022, it was one of the top 5 vegan restaurants in Indianapolis on Yelp.[11] In September 2022, the food truck served at BUTTER Art Fair.[2] In the fall of 2022, Black Leaf Vegan introduced a new, larger food truck, made from a converted bus, to serve coffee and smoothies alongside food, and began operating it twice weekly at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.[12]