A new cafe has joined the Grand Central District dining scene in St. Petersburg. In preview mode since Feb. 2, Love Food Central is serving up its own version of vegan and gluten-free cuisine at 2057 Central Ave.
The foundation of the cafe began forming years ago through two women’s love for cooking, creating and veganizing their favorite recipes. Valerie Mantzoros has dabbled in a vegan gluten-free diet for 15 years. When she met her partner, Cindy Toda, who’s also a fan of the kitchen, sparks flew and an unstoppable team was born.
The duo dreamed of one day opening their own vegan gluten-free hub, where they would offer more than standard salads. But it wasn’t until they met Love Food Central’s third owner, Lawrence Sullivan, that the concept was born.
“I was traveling in India, and I can be very impulsive sometimes,” Sullivan says. “So I was just like, I’m gonna see if those guys will let me help start the cafe, and I’m moving to St. Pete Beach.”
Each of them plays a special role in managing the cafe. Mantzoros is the dessert aficionado, Toda focuses on the savory, and Sullivan, dubbed the “chief of freshness,” tastes everything before it makes its way onto the menu. Sullivan has experience launching three other start-ups, and helps run the behind-the-scenes of the business.
Unlike other vegan food spots in the St. Pete area, the cafe focuses on vegan and gluten-free comfort food.
“Warm food, satisfying food that has a lot of variety. A spinoff from something from your childhood, like the pulled jackfruit (on the menu), can lend itself from barbecue or having a picnic with your family, and things we grew up with and we sometimes miss,” Mantzoros says of the eats. “It has all these memories around it, and that is comforting for a lot of people.”
Along with sending herbivores back in time, the owners aim to appeal to carnivores. The name “Love Food Central” was chosen to avoid scaring off potential diners with the “V” word.
The bill of fare features an array of dishes from all over. Mantzoros and Toda traveled for 10 months around the globe and road-tripped across the country prior to launching the cafe. With offerings like the sushirito (fresh greens, seasoned julienned veggies, grilled mushrooms, cilantro, sushi rice), a house-made vegan cheese plate and soft serve, patrons may chow on items for no more than $10. The trio believes healthy food should be affordable, too.
Love Food Central’s cozy, 1,700-square-foot space holds between 20 and 25 people, and outdoor seating is also in the works. Inside, a bright orange wall is a nice contrast to the exterior’s emerald green paint, and little touches — a wooden ordering counter, golden framed chalkboards and coloring pencils waiting to fill mandala-patterned pages — make the eatery a welcoming place to grab a bite.
Since opening a little over two weeks ago, the response has been positive, and the cafe’s Facebook page has gained more than 800 followers. Soon after the doors opened last Friday, a new patron walked in, confirming what the owners had hoped for.
“When did you open?” she asks.
“A week ago,” Sullivan says.
“Oh, yeah, a lot of the places around here are raw.”
“Yeah, we are more on the comfort side.”
“This is nice.”
And so she sat, awaiting her falafel, purple coloring pencil in hand.
Love Food Central’s grand opening will take place within the next month. For now, the cafe operates 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2016.