Kyoko Faison is making it easy to grab vegan-friendly foodin South Tampa with her new concept, Pure Kitchen Organic Vegan.

"I used to be a chef at Grass Roots, a vegan restaurant, but they closed about three years ago," Faison said. "After working at SoHo Sushi, the owner, Jeffrey, encouraged me to open a restaurant because he believes in what I do. There aren't many vegan places in Tampa; Tampa is behind. I was excited Farmacy Vegan Kitchen +Bakery opened downtown, but we should have more places."

So Faison rented a space next to SoHo Sushi at 3214 W Kennedy Boulevard and filled it with pre-packaged, ready-to-go vegan meals.

"It's good for busy people. There's no stress and you don't have to wait," Faison said. "It's also good for the vegan people, because they used to have to go to St. Petersburg all the time for vegan options. They're so happy we opened."

Originally from Japan, where she also worked at a restaurant, Faison has lived in Tampa for 20 years. But she still includes Japanese recipes on the menu like the popular Bento.

"We can't offer it every day because it's so complicated," Faison said. "It uses 15 to 20 ingredients in just one small box so it takes a long time, but every time we put it on the menu it sells really quickly."

Aside from grab 'n' go, Pure Kitchen also offers weekly meal deliveries for the South Tampa area.

"Put your e-mail address on a mailing list and we send out weekly menus and you can pick whatever you like and we'll deliver it on Monday and Thursday," Faison said.

In the future, Faison plans to utilize the restaurant's spacious counter and open kitchen to host cooking classes. Saturday sit-down brunches are also in the works.

"People will be able to bring their own bubbles, then we have great organic juices they can add to make mimosas," Faison said.

Pure Kitchen has been operating in soft-opening stages for the last few weeks but a grand opening will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (the restaurant will also be open for normal hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Saturday with free samples, drinks and food for purchase.

For more information, visit facebook.com/Pure-Kitchen-1886453528296292.

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Grab 'n' go vegan option opens in South Tampa 06/09/17 [Last modified: Friday, June 9, 2017 12:33pm] Photo reprints | Article reprints

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