Soul Food Eatery Opens in Miami’s Vegan Food Hall

New vegan soul-food restaurant Southern Sol Garden BBQ will open in Miami’s all-vegan food hall The VShops in September. The restaurant’s founder Alex Cuevas, who has been vegan for 30 years, first opened The VShops in April with the mission of offering top-notch vegan food in a relaxed setting. The new eatery is inspired by the vegan soul food that Cuevas sampled in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas, and features a menu that includes baked mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, and plant-based barbecued meats. In addition to newcomer Southern Sol, the food hall is home to Latin-influenced Choices Café, juice bar Neo’s Blender, ice cream shop Ice Dream Parlor, and pizzeria Next Generation Pizza. Originally, Cuevas planned to open six to seven businesses at the food hall, but has expanded the plan to include a total of 10 restaurants that he hopes will be operational by the end of the year. The VShops president Lori Sito believes that the all-vegan food hall has the potential to change the way people eat, in Miami and beyond. “It has created an opportunity for vegans to feel safe bringing non-vegans without the risk of disappointing them,” Sito told local media outlet Miami New Times. “And for us, the biggest win is when the non-vegan friend comes back on their own. The ripple effect can slowly change the world.”