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Sidecar for Pigs Peace Sanctuary
"Washington's only 100 % vegan store"
Location: Seattle's University District, on the corner of 55th and University Way.
Store Manager: Peggy Wasman
Director & Founder of Pigs Peace: Judy Woods
Vegan Staff: Everyone involved with Sidecar is vegan.
In business since: November 2005
100% of the profits go to the animals; the workers are volunteers.
Sells: Hard-to-find faux meats and soy cheeses, delicious locally-made baked goods, ready-to-eat sandwiches provided by local restaurants, cruelty-free shoes, (both dress and sport), belts and bags, fashion accessories, vegan wines, gourmet raw items, T-shirts and message gear, vegan books and cookbooks, gift ideas, make-up and soaps, personal care items, all vegan dog and cat food, organic coffee, treats, breakfast, lunch and dinner items, and locally made vegan Mighty-O Doughnuts. They offer 700 different items with more to come!
Background: Pigs Peace Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe home for unwanted, abused and neglected animals, and committed to spreading the message of compassion and respect for all animals. (Please visit the web site www.pigspeace.org)
Fast and Furless Skinless Fashion
"What better way to combine my passion for veganism and longing to start my own business by opening a cruelty-free shop myself!"
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Owner: Jon Novick, a vegan for 8 years.
In business since: November 25, 2005. They opened their doors on "Fur-Free Friday" (furfreefriday.com)
Sells: Footwear, belts, bags, wallets, hats, jewelry, treats, ties, T-shirts, scarves, body care, cosmetics, books, magazines, cards, and bumper stickers.
Background: "I once had dinner at a restaurant with a group that included a rabbi. In keeping kosher, he only ate vegetarian out. His hummus-pita-veggies plate looked much more appetizing to me than my meat-chicken-or-whatever dish. I thought, 'I love hummus--I could eat it all the time' (and I do!). So, in hopes of losing some of the weight I'd gained during college, I decided to forego red meat. That was my only intention. However, in time, I lost my taste for poultry and fish.
Then an old boss introduced me to the book Fit for Life, which touts the health benefits of a vegan diet. This occurred around the same time I was learning more and more about the ethical aspects of veganism from pamphlets and talks I was attending. It was then I decided to give up dairy and eggs, and become fully vegan.
I initially wanted to open a vegan cafe. However, my skill set lies more in vegan eating than vegan cooking! In 2002, I moved to Los Angeles. It was while living there I learned of the existence of vegan boutiques (I had ordered shoes and belts from vegan mail-order companies before, but didn't know there were actually stores you could visit and try on shoes).
Before moving back home to Minnesota in 2004, I visited All Vegan in San Diego and Otsu in San Francisco. The twin cities have a vibrant veg community (of the top 10 veg-friendly large cities in the U.S., PETA ranks Minneapolis #7). I knew there had to be others like me in the area who found ordering vegan shoes online a frustrating and expensive experience. I decided my hometown deserved a vegan boutique of its own."
Humanitaire
"Our company only sells vegan products. No beeswax, no seashells, no silk,
etc... We try to focus on better-quality items (i.e. breathable microfiber
shoes instead of vinyl ones) and aim for environmentally friendly whenever
possible."
Location: 2937 S. Bristol St. A-101A, Costa Mesa, CA (at The Camp
next to Native Foods).
Owners: "My mother, Melanie, and I own the store together. I am vegan (5 years next January), she is going vegetarian."
Staff: Their two part-time assistants are both vegan (for 3 years and 2 months, respectively).
In business since: May 4, 2006.
Sells: A wide variety of t-shirts, purses, wallets, belts, jewelry (in-store only), guitar straps, makeup (in-store only), shoes, and a few books. Stock changes periodically.
Sales of most of their jewelry benefit charitable causes (cat rescue, sustainable employment in rural Brazil, etc.)
Background: "I became vegetarian, then vegan, out of a deep respect for other living beings. I have a degree in fashion design (for which I learned a lot about textiles) and was both surprised and disappointed by the fact that retailers in Southern California, home to a large number of vegetarians and vegans, were not offering nice-looking, good-quality vegan apparel. Because of my design background I knew the products existed, and we decided to make them available in a storefront setting (while we do sell online, most of our business is in-store)."
"In keeping with our waste-not, want-not philosophy, we use five tree trunks salvaged from the 2003 Cedar fire to display belts and purses. (They 'frame' a very large mirror. We started writing animal-related quotes on it in lipstick so new visitors to our store wouldn't try to walk through it and bump their heads. The quote changes every few weeks when the mirror is cleaned.)"
CrueltyFreeWorld.com
Location: "We do not have a storefront; only sell at festivals and farmer's markets. We give out Veg Starter kits from Rocky Mountain Animal Defense. Anyone can do what we do. Just buy a tent, get a business license, and go sell! It's a great way to promote veganism and be a voice for the animals."
Owners: Dan Hanley and Mike Nelson. They are both vegan; Dan for 12 years and Mike for 4 years. "We became vegan for animal reasons." They are the only staff.
In business: Three years
Sells: Queen Bee bags and wallets, Splaff flops, bags, belts and wallets, Hempys bags, belts and wallets, Hemp Sisters bags and wallets, Bungalow 360 bags, Sarah Kramer cookbooks, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau cookbooks.
Background: "We started Cruelty-Free World because we couldn't find belts, wallets, etc that were vegan and not made in China. We were done with having to order online and not being able to touch and feel before buying. So now we sell all of these awesome vegan products."
"We also have been able to teach folks that you can buy awesome, fashionable products that do not harm animals."
www.crueltyfreeworld.com
