Flatbelly Veg, a vegan cafe located at 1020 Bethlehem Pike in Erdenheim (Springfield Township), is opening a second location at 446 Easton Road in Glenside sometime in late January.

The new cafe will take over the former On Edge Hair Studio space next to the former location of Carminati’s Creamery, which closed in August.

Co-owner Josh Pope said their Erdenheim location opened in 2020 and is operated with his wife and daughter, along with their team members. They decided on Glenside after learning where many of their regular customers were coming from.

“Based on our growing popularity and the location of many of our customers, we decided to launch in Glenside,” Pope, a Mt. Airy resident, said. “We had an opportunity to replicate what we’re already doing. We think it’ll be a great fit. We like the fact that there’s a lot going on in Glenside.”

According to Pope, the cafe makes everything from scratch, including their sauces, cookies, bread and vegan meats, and their philosophy is holistic: In addition to food, they also offer cooking classes every few weeks at Cheltenham Adult School in Wyncote, as well as in Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill.

“We teach others how to make their own food, and we also have a fitness component. We call that group the ‘Kaleblazers’. We’re trying to promote not only what’s on the plate, but what’s happening outside the plate,” he said, adding that his own personal health sparked the journey to health and wellness.

“I was diabetic and overweight and decided I needed to make a change. I started becoming hyperconscious of what I was putting in my body,” he said. “The more plants I ate, the better I felt. As I researched, I came to find out that everyone is affected by what we eat, right down to the animals. Small changes lead to larger changes. It’s a ripple effect. I’ve been teaching people to make their own changes ever since. You don’t need to go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to put good stuff in your body. It doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor.”

For more on Flat Belly Veg, you can visit their Facebook page and website.

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Photos: Flat Belly Veg