Ross Abel, an Abington Township resident and the founder of Jenkintown Vegan, is looking to spread the word about vegan-friendly options in our area.
After Abel’s family settled in the borough in 2021, he noticed a dearth in “strict vegetarian” eateries, so he compiled a list of restaurants with non-meat/non-dairy menu items.
“I had heard of other people in the area looking for vegan options and I wanted to make sure those people know what’s out there,” he said.
In his native Austin, Texas, Abel helped start a social vegan community as well as organize a state-wide vegan festival.
“They’re booming. It’s been a passion of mine for the last 20 years,” he said. “I was a hunter and a fisherman growing up, so I’ve done a 180 ethically, so to speak.”
The ongoing list puts local restaurants into three categories: “Totally veg / vegan options” which includes PLNT Burger of Jenkintown, and “Serve meat but have vegan options” which includes Drake Tavern, Elia, Fill A Bagel, The Highland, Human Robot, King’s Corner, Lilly’s, and New Wild Ginger, among others.
The third category, “Sweets & treats”, includes Bilal’s Bakery, Dreams Ice Cream, Sprinkles Ice Cream Shoppe, Velvet Sky Bakery, and Whole Foods Jenkintown.
Each category includes the eateries’ respective municipality and a review of menu offerings. A “Food Gallery” featuring various vegan dishes appears at the bottom of the page.
“I’ve been trying places since we’ve moved. I know people are out there and wanting to support these businesses, particularly to local restaurants,” he said.
A website designer by trade, he fired up JenkintownVegan.com in a matter of days.
“I’m looking to continue enhancing the site and add some resources to flush it out more. Just in the couple days after I announced the site, I was getting a couple hundred people visiting a day. I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions from people, too,” Abel said.
“I love this area. It’s walkable, there’s access to mass transit. I feel like we found a gem in the Philly suburbs. Jenkintown, Glenside and Keswick Village have been great for our kids to grow up,” he said.
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