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For 2 vegan businesses, St. Louis proved the perfect launch pad

Rootberry delivers plant-based food to your door and is available in some Dierbergs locations.
Jasper Paul PR
Rootberry delivers plant-based food that also is available in some Dierbergs locations.

The Midwest is not the first place most people think of when it comes to a robust vegan food scene. But for two local business owners, St. Louis was the perfect place to launch businesses focused on plant-based offerings.

Rita Childers started selling vegan 鈥渃heese鈥 sauce with her business partner Candi Haas in 2016, and is now in stores throughout the country. Marc Connor started the plant-based meal delivery service just last year. The company has already seen tremendous growth, with its prepared meals available in retail outlets in addition to home and office delivery.

So how did these two find success in a city known for barbecue, cake made with cream cheese and, of course, the meaty, cheesy delicacy that is toasted ravioli? Connor said it鈥檚 all about introducing more plant-based food into people鈥檚 diets, but not forcing anyone into full-blown veganism.

Core + Rind is a St. Louis-based company selling cashew 鈥渃heese鈥 sauce.
Provided by Core + Rind
Core + Rind is a St. Louis-based company selling cashew 鈥渃heese鈥 sauce.

鈥淵ou can still enjoy those things,鈥 Connor said of classic St. Louis foods. 鈥淚t goes back to our whole mission, which is 鈥榤ore people, more plants, more often.鈥 And so in a city that loves gooey butter cake and T-Ravs it's good, because just more plants more often is a good thing.鈥

Childers said she felt similarly. She and Haas started Core + Rind after they adopted a plant-based diet but didn鈥檛 want to give up some of their favorite meals.

鈥淲e really missed those comfort foods from childhood like mac and cheese and pizza,鈥 Childers said. 鈥淎nd that's kind of where it stemmed from, because we wanted something that was made with, say, pumpkin, cashews, olive oil, but tasted like delicious, creamy mac and cheese.鈥

Both Childers and Connor have seen their businesses boom. Core + Rind is now in 1,000 stores across the U.S., including Schnucks and Whole Foods, and Rootberry has 48 locations in the St. Louis area, including placement at Dierbergs Markets.

Childers said while some might be surprised by their growth from the Midwest, she isn鈥檛.

How Core + Rind and Rootberry have found success starting from St. Louis

鈥淚 think in St. Louis, we just love good food here. So if plant-based is delicious, there's really no problem with it,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd I think that now there are more and more delicious plant based foods. You know, the Midwest is definitely taking more of that on.鈥

Connor said starting in St. Louis 鈥 versus a city already associated with veganism 鈥 was one of the keys to Rootberry鈥檚 success. A 鈥渇lexitarian鈥 rather than a strict vegan, he sees Rootberry as perfect for people wanting to add a vegan meal or two to their roster, not only people already committed to the lifestyle.

鈥淔irst of all, it's our hometown, it's our family or friends and we also wanted to do something that would make our hometown proud,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut also the fact that it isn't limited just to people that are already eating plant based. We wanted to expand it completely to everyone 鈥 even just one meal makes a difference.鈥

Both Connor and Childers were sold on plant-based foods after making changes to their diet and noticing a dramatic shift in their energy levels and overall health. Now, they鈥檙e hoping to spread that influence as far as they can.

鈥淚 hope that St. Louis will be an amazing success,鈥 Connor said. 鈥淎nd that we will be throughout the Midwest in major markets with our own kitchens delivering locally, and really being a standard for what great plant-based food can be in people's lives.鈥

鈥 brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by and produced by , , and . Jane Mather-Glass is our production assistant. The audio engineer is .

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