We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Gilbert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Lisa started the business in 2015 with a passion to prove that vegan food isn’t bland or boring, but can be creative, fulfilling, & delicious. She grew up in a family of restauranteurs, so starting the food truck felt like a natural fit. We simply love food, and love to feed people!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are proud to be a queer, women-owned, vegan micro business with such a great following here in Colorado! It’s not easy to run a food business, and we are grateful to have the love of our community to carry us through even the hardest moments.

It’s personally important to us to be lowering our carbon footprint by running a vegan business, and the raving compliments we’ve received from some who have never had a vegan meal give us hope that perhaps they’ll continue to seek vegan food elsewhere.

We are also the proud new co-owners of VegFest Colorado! We’ve teamed up with our bestie, Helen Williams from Best One Yet vegan ice cream, to revitalize this beloved vegan festival. The fest will be taking place August 6 & 7 at Improper City with many local vegan food & craft vendors, speakers from all across the nation, kids activities, & more! Tickets and more information can be found at vegfestco.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start by enjoying a Cafe de Olla coffee and vegan breakfast burrito on Hoja’s patio. We’d then check out what local craft markets are going on that week – Horseshoe Market, City Park Farmer’s Market, The Big Wonderful.
Then we’d go to the historic Westwood neighborhood and check out the local street art, have lunch at Kahlo’s (which has a large vegan menu), and grab some vegan treats at Cultura Chocolate, located across the street.
After that we could catch a free outdoor concert at the gorgeous Levitt Pavilions, and have dinner at the food trucks located at the event!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We give credit & gratitude to all vegan minority chefs & small business owners who have come before us! A special shoutout to Andrea from Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary who really fights for the cause continuously, and inspires us every day.

Website: wongwayveg.com

Instagram: @wongwayveg

Twitter: @wongwayveg

Facebook: @wongwayveg

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wongwayveg-denver

Image Credits
The photo of Natalie & Lisa in the food truck window is credited to Annie Burky and Ms. Mayhem Magazine.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.