Plant Based Zo, a Black-owned vegan Haitian-Caribbean restaurant, is opening its first permanent location. Headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Conyers, the vegan restaurant is owned by Belineda Febe, who runs the restaurant through a pop-up location at 1066 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. in Southwest Atlanta.
Open three days a week, Plant Based Zo offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner items each inspired by Haitian cuisine and flavors across the Caribbean. Plant Based Zo is a culturally and culinarily infused concept that emphasizes providing healthy food options that don’t lack flavor and zest. The varied dates and times to host their pop-ups are one reason why a new permanent space is needed for Plant Based Zo to grow as a restaurant. According to a building permit, an existing restaurant space is being altered to be used as a commissary kitchen at 940 McDaniel St. SW, Atlanta. When What Now Atlanta reached out for further details, the owner was unavailable for comment.
As the name of the restaurant implies, all the food served is completely plant-based. Aside from doing pop-up hours, Plant Based Zo also does catering and offers private chef sessions. The main menu is “Haitian Classics”, consisting of traditional Haitian meals with a veganized twist. Their “Zo Specials” involve rotating menus made of original creations from plant-based Zo chefs, according to its website.
Many of the dishes are popular among customers, including vegan crunch wraps and their Voodoo burger, made with a house-made patty crafted with a blend of selected ingredients infused with traditional Haitian spices. Food platters come with Haitian-inspired street foods like fritters with crispy fried plantains, acra, and vegan Haitian griot.
The atmosphere in Plant Based Zo is a soul-filled blend of Afro-centric spiritualism and African Caribbean culture. Its goal as a restaurant is to provide delicious vegan foods and provide Atlantans with a culturally driven place for people to engage with Caribbean food and culture. It’s not uncommon to find customers and workers alike dancing to Reggae and live percussion instruments being played gleefully.
