Montclair Vegan has officially closed its doors. Saturday, January 2nd was the last day of business for the Montclair staple that was located at 10 Park Street. Read on to learn more about this business and how COVID-19 directly impacted it.
On December 30th, the restaurant posted this message on its Instagram, “As a result of the financial challenges that many have suffered from COVID-19, Montclair Vegan is sad to say that we have closed our doors. We will be open for one last day, Saturday, January 2nd from 12PM-8PM with a limited takeout menu. We want to thank our loyal customers and employees who supported us over the last few years and hope everyone has a safe and healthy New Year.”
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This has brought sad news to those who were fans of the vegan eatery. One commenter wrote, “Oh no this is a big loss to the vegan community,” while another wrote, “This makes my heart so heavy.” Some other comments include: “This is the worst news ever. I’m so sad! Best vegan wings in the country,” and “A huge loss. You offered fun vegan food like no others in the area!! Especially with your late hours and great location. NJ will miss you.”
Departing on a positive note, Montclair Vegan had a 4.5-star review on Yelp.
Read More: The Salad House Opens Location in Montclair
The Vegan Menu
Montclair Vegan was known for serving everything completely vegan and essentially, vegan “junk food” and “comfort grub” in an informal setting. The menu included tofu dogs, tater tots, drumsticks, burgers, empanadas, sandwiches, and snacks {with nut, corn, and gluten-free options available for those with allergies}.
The empanadas especially were a hit and were available in different flavors, including mashed potato, sweet potato, southwest, spinach and cheese, and chorizo and beans and cheese.
Montclair Vegan had three different types of burgers to choose from, including the vegan big mac {made with beyond burger, house sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion}, the disco inferno {made with beyond burger, mushroom gravy, mozzarella, and jalapeno}, and the roadhouse {made with beyond burger, cheese, barbecue, chipotle, and fried onions}. All burgers were served with a side of tater tots.
Montclair Vegan’s History in Town
Montclair Vegan has been open since September 2017. Throughout the three-and-a-half years in business, Montclair Vegan partnered with other local businesses such as Dope As Doughnuts {100 percent vegan doughnuts made with aquafaba}, and was part of community events like the Montclair Center Stage Music Festival and Montclair Center’s Oktoberfest.
The shop was located inside Park Street Market’s food court along with other businesses, such as Meatatarian, Juice Bar, and Wonder Waffle. On July 30th, Park Street Market announced on its Facebook page that the market was shutting down:
“Hey guys, due to the [loss] in sales and staff with this whole Pandemic, we are closing operations starting today. We appreciate all your support and hope to reopen one day.”
For other vegan restaurants in Montclair, patrons can visit Mundo Vegan {an upbeat eatery located in the middle of Montclair’s Church Street}, Veggie Heaven {a Chinese franchise with plenty of vegan options}, and Mesob {an Ethiopian restaurant serving meat-free stews among other vegan dishes}.
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