Vegan restaurant owner’s hopes to create ‘coolest food joint in the land’

A vegan restaurant which has been plagued by flooding issues has closed the doors to its current premises – but its owner hopes to reopen as the “coolest vegan food joint in the land”.

Resist! Vegan Kitchen, which opened on St James Street last year as Lynn’s only all-vegan eatery, has launched a fundraiser after owner Gareth Ellison said the team had spent the last year “fighting a losing battle with our building, the cost and loss maintaining the Grade II building”.

On the Gofundme page, Gareth has asked customers to “help us reopen”, as he said: “We’ve decided to end our time at St James Street.”

He added: “We have sadly lost everything doing so but the constant water damage and last-minute closing has massively affected not only the business, but our awesome customers and our mental wellbeing quite badly.

“Some days it can look sunny, but the reality is we have been up all night while it rained protecting this property with buckets and towels, it’s ‘plumb loco’.

“I am absolutely exhausted.”

The restaurant, which had only recently reopened last month following flooding issues, offers a variety of items on its menu, including burgers, kebabs and milkshakes.

Gareth said it was “heartbreaking” to “lose everything we invested in renovating this building and move on”.

“We have had an amazing time here and met so many amazing people with the best memories had,” he added.

“We had an amazing safe space for all that was passionately vegan and vegan-owned and we still do.”

The fundraiser has so far raised £700 out of a £2,400 target – with Gareth adding that his current plan is to reopen in new premises in the new year.

“We have the opportunity to open the coolest vegan food joint in the land,” he said.

On the Gofundme page, Gareth shared his ideas for a ground-floor premises in Lynn town centre, featuring a bar with beer and craft taps, cocktail bar and an independent live music venue, which could host poetry, exhibitions and other events too.

Meanwhile, in a post on Facebook, he said: “Thank you all for your support so far with our fundraiser. We are super pleased to say we no have a new place which we will be opening in the centre of King’s Lynn in the new year. It’s a lovely joint to live our vegan dream with you good folks.”

He added that all donations over £25 will be invited to a special preview opening night, those of £50 and over will get a meal for two and donations of £100 will have a private chef for the evening.

To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/f/resist-vegan-kitchen-relaunch-new-location

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