From a Hole-in-the-Wall to a Plant-Based Revolution: The 57Végane Story

Every great journey starts somewhere, and ours began in a small, unassuming space—a true "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant with big dreams. What started as 57Cals, a humble eatery serving vegan Mediterranean comfort food, evolved into 57Végane, a brand with a mission: to redefine plant-based food and make it more accessible, flavorful, and exciting. But this transformation wasn’t easy. It was a journey shaped by challenges, fueled by passion, and guided by a deep belief in the power of food.

The Early Days: A Tiny Kitchen with a Big Vision

When we first opened our doors, we had no illusions about the road ahead. Our space was small, our resources limited, and our team had to wear multiple hats—chef, cashier, delivery driver and dishwasher. But what we lacked in size, we made up for in determination. Our goal was simple: to create the plant-based versions of the popular recipes people loved, regardless of their dietary choices.

We quickly realized that the market for plant-based food was growing, but it was also misunderstood. Many associated vegan food with bland, uninspiring meals. We wanted to challenge that perception by offering rich, satisfying flavors inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. The challenge? Educating our customers while ensuring we stayed true to our culinary roots.

The Struggles: Growth, Misconceptions, and Breaking Barriers

Running a restaurant is never easy, but doing so while trying to change minds about plant-based eating added an extra layer of complexity. One of our biggest struggles was overcoming the skepticism surrounding vegan food. People often told us "You will close within a year". 

Financial constraints were another hurdle. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, we built our brand through persistence, word of mouth, and a strong connection with our community.

The Transformation: From 57Cals to 57Végane

As our customer base grew, our space was becoming our biggest challenge. The small restaurant couldn't accommodate a lot of guests, the parking was a challenge, and our customers were coming from far for our menu.

As we were contemplating moving into a bigger space, one day while grocery shopping, we noticed the lack of vegan ready-to-eat sandwiches in the grab and go fridges. That was the beginning of a new challenge we wanted to take on: how could we offer our recipes in a grab and go format for the retail industry?

This transformation meant reworking our menu, coming up with packaging, considering shelf life, expanding our reach, marketing as a CPG brand, and developing new ways to bring our products to a wider audience. Also, ensuring our brand remained true to its core values while adapting to this new market. This meant keeping the ingredients clean and not using preservatives in the foods we were offering.

Today, our products are available in grocery chains such as Avril and TAU, health food stores such as La Moisson, and many cafeterias. By partnering with local distributors, our products are available around Quebec.

The Philosophy: Why We Keep Pushing Forward

We don’t just create vegan food; we create delicious, ready to eat, plant-based alternatives that anyone can enjoy; specially those who are always on the go! We believe that plant-based eating should be about abundance and flavors and not restrictions. 

Every struggle we faced reinforced our commitment to this philosophy. From our tiny kitchen to a growing brand, we’ve learned that success isn’t just about scaling up—it’s about staying authentic, listening to our customers, and continuously innovating.