Portland Butchers Buy Two Vegan-Friendly Cafés

Adam and Jackie Sappington, owners of 10-year-old meat-centric restaurant The Country Cat, recently purchased vegetarian eateries Harlow and two locations of Prasad. According to local media outlet Portland Monthly, the chef couple are the pioneers behind the “nose-to-tail” movement in Portland and have typically served meat- and dairy-heavy dishes at their restaurant. The Sappingtons said that while they are not vegan “yet,” the move was inspired by their children who follow a plant-based diet and by their customers who are increasingly looking for vegan options. “It’s a growing cuisine,” they said, “a way of eating with mass appeal.” The couple revealed that they will not add more animal products to the vegan-friendly menus at their new restaurants, but plan to use their connections to local farmers to source more seasonal produce. “Food is our art medium,” Jackie Sabbington said. “This is a chance to look at a different way of eating and put our stamp on it.”