Richmond restaurant Philly Vegan's pay-what-you-can helps feed the community during tough times

A restaurant on Richmond's Southside is serving up more than just good food.

It's also making an impact in the community.

SUCCESS.A RESTAURANT ON THE CITY'SSOUTHSIDE SERVES UP MORE THANDELICIOUSFOOD -- IT'S MAKIN AGN IMPACT INTHECOMMUNITY.IN A NEW "OUR R-V-A" -- CANDACEBURNS SHARESTHE STORY OF PHILLY VEGAN...AND HOW ITS FILLING BELLIESAND INSPIRING KINDNESS.NAT IN KITCHEN CASH FLOW ISVITAL FOR OPERATING A BUSINESS.NAT IN KITCHEN AND WHENRUNNING ARESTAURANT...NAT IN KITCHENSAMUEL VENEY-- SAYS...LOVE...ISALSO AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FORSUCCESS.139.275.015.20.37.00 "EVERYTHING THAT WEDO IS WITH THE INTENT OF RAISNGIUP EVERYONE ELSE.WE USE OURENERGY AND OUR VIBRATION TO DOTHAT, AND WE PUT THAT INTO OURFOOD."VENEY IS PAT ROWNER OF PHILLYVEGAN-- LOCATED ON RICHMOND'SSOUTHSIDE.139.275.015.21.45.00 "WHEN WESTARTED WE KNEW IT WAS SOMETHINGBIG." THE STAFF HREE IS VERYINTENTIONAL.NAT GENEROSITY IS THEFOUNDATION ONWHICH THEY WKOR.139.275.015.22.50.00 GIVING BACK ASMUCH SA WE CAN AND OPENING OURHEARTS AS WIDE AS WE CAN."THEY MEDITATE BEFORE THEY EVENSTART COOKING.139.275.015.22.56.00 MAKE SURE WEARE ALL LINED UP IN A CIRCLE OFLOVE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SUREWE ARE GIVING OUR BEST EFFORT.THE 100% VEGAN ESTABLISHMENTHAS BEEN SERVING THE COMMUNITYFOR TWO YEARS.ARTTACTING BOTH THE PLANT BASEDCRWDO AND MANY CARNIVORES.139.275.015.27.42.00 OVER 50% OF OURCUSTOMERS ARE NOT VEGAN.THEYHEARD ABOUT OUR FOOD.THEY TRIEDIT, THEY LOVED IT, AND THEY JUSTKEEP COMING BACK...COMINGBACK...AND COMING BACK.THE PANDEMIC DIDN'T STOP THEIRMOMENTUEM..

EITHER...IN FACT...BUSINESS PICKED UP EVENMORE.139.275.015.25.22.00 COVID HIT A LOTOF PEOPLE HARD, BUT DURING THATTIME WE WERE ALREADY SET UPFOR TAKEOUT, SO WHEN WE'RECLOSING DOWN PEOPLE WERELOOKING FOR PLACES TO GO AND WEWERE ONE OF THE ONES THAT WASSTILL OPERATING.BUT VENEY SAYS THEY COULDN'TJUST SIT BACK WHILE OTHERSSTRUGGLED.139.275.015.25.06.11 WE ALWAYS LOOKAT SOBTACLES AS OPPORTUNITIES.THEY FOCUSED ON WHAT THEYENJOYING DOING MOST... GIVIN.G139.275.015.25.35.00 THAT'S WHAT MADEUS START PAY WHAT YOU CAN.ONCE A MONTH ON ANY GIVEN DAY--PHILLY VEGAN ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TOPAY AWHTEVERTHEY CAN AFFORD.139.275.015.26.05.00 IF YOU CAN'T PAYANYTHING WE AREN'T GOING TOQUESTION YOU, BECAUSE YOUKNOW YOU'RE SITUATION.THEY'VE HELPED A LOT OF EOPPLEWITH THIS METHOD.391.275.015.25.40.00 IN THE FIRSTTHREE MONTHS OF DOING PAY WHATYOU CAN WE FEED OVER 1,000PEOPLE I THINK.AND THEY WITNESSED HOW THEIROPEN HEARTS-- INSPIRE STRANGERS.139.275.015.26.30 SOME PEOPLEWILL COME IN AND ORDER $20'SWORTH OF FOOD AND LEAVE A $30-TIP BECAUSE THEY KWNO WHO WEARE-- AND WE ARE GOING TO GIVEITTO SOMEBODY ELSE VENEY SAYS THEPAY WHAT YOU CANDAYS WILL STICK AROUND LONGAFTER THE PANDEMIC ISOVER.

BECAUSE IT DEFINES PHILLYVEGAN.139.275.015.34.07.00 WHAT DO WE STANDFOR...LOVE PEACE AND UNITY.HE HOPES TO EXPAND HIS REACH....AND GIVE TO EVEN MORE PEOPLE.139.275.0135.6.12.12 ALL THAT YOU SEEAROUND YOU, IN TWO YEARS,COMES FROM CUSTOMERS SUPPORTINGUS.THE MORE YOUSUPPORT US, THE MORE WE ARE ABLETO GIVE BACK, THE MORE WE AREABLEGOING TO GIVE BACK.HE'S VISUALIZING...WITH AN OPENHEART..MUCH MORE SUCCESS IN THEFUTURE.139.275.015.28.52.00 THIS IS THE FISTRPHILLY VEGAN, BUT NOT THE LAST.WORKING FOR