Zentu Café executive chef Tim Fedorko and co-owner Benny Blanchard established their mobile kitchen located within Blue Torch Cigars and Winery at 5908 N. Armenia Avenue.
Blanchard is also the owner of The Human’s Mechanic in Seminole Heights, while Fedorko is one of the previous owners of Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery.
Fedorko handles the culinary brain while Blanchard finesses the finances and played a huge role in securing the location for the mobile kitchen.
The kitchen opened in February shortly after Valentine’s Day, and has been making plant-based lovers’ hearts throb ever since.
The menu at Zentu Café is a 100% plant-based cuisine using fresh and locally sourced ingredients.
Each month a new menu is rotated in to keep customers’ taste buds on high alert. Currently, a 4/20-inspired menu is available, with options like the Burnt Joes, a spicier take on the traditional Sloppy Joe; the Woke Wendy sandwich, a riff on a spicy chicken sandwich made with yucca, chickpea, and cauliflower; and a sweet concoction of roasted jackfruit and mango BBQ sauce called the Hill Billy sandwich.
Fedorko’s mission is to show Tampa Bay that plant-based bites aren’t for just vegans: “We’re trying to switch up what Tampa is used to where vegan food is bland, overly healthy, or super bad for you.”
Customers can take advantage of the 30-seat patio and enjoy a brew from Blue Torch while waiting for their meal to arrive. Menu items range from $5.50 for a soup or side to $12 for an entrée.
“We really wanted to supply a dining experience for our guests with somewhere for them to sit, hangout and eat their food,” Fedorko explains.
An added bonus is that all of their products are recyclable and compostable.
“It’s important to us to do as much as we can for the planet and restaurant industry,” Fedorko adds.
The chef says he’s signed a lease to set up shop at the end of the year inside the Duckweed Urban Grocery’s upcoming Seminole Heights location. Any plans for a grand opening are being delayed until the brick-and-mortar location opens.
You can find the mobile kitchen offering up lunch and dinner service five days a week, Wednesday and Thursday 4-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4-10 p.m., and Sunday 2-6 p.m. To avoid competition with other vegan spots in Tampa Bay, a monthly brunch menu is also in the works.
Zentu Café dishes are available on UberEATS and Bite Squad, as well, in case you're looking for something tasty and vegan for delivery.
“The goal is to feature as many unique, local products as I can. We really want to bring this view of plant-based eating to the rest of the country at some point,” Fedorko says.
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