When James Bloodsaw Jr. started eating a vegan diet in Madison more than a decade ago, his options when dining out narrowed to roughly one dish.
“It was like, pasta and marinara sauce. I kid you not. Just pasta and marinara sauce,” Bloodsaw said. “I think if you were vegetarian, Burger King had a veggie burger? That was it. You couldn’t find anything.”
JustVeggiez is a fixture at downtown festivals, where Bloodsaw has seen steady growth among fans of his plant-based cheese curds, burgers and fried “chicken” sandwiches.
“I’m getting a lot of returning customers,” he said. “The main question we get is, ‘Is it all vegan?’ Because they see my menu and they’re like, this can’t be vegan. … And then they’re like, ‘We’ve been looking for something like this! I never went to a restaurant or a festival where it’s all vegan food.’”