Husband and wife Arielle and Brandon Hawthorne, co-owners of Twisted Plants, are excited to bring different food options for people to enjoy in Milwaukee with their new vegan restaurant. The restaurant evolved from a vegan/plant-based food truck in spring 2019 that visited locations and events in Milwaukee and surrounding areas. In spring 2020, they moved into their permanent and first brick-and-mortar location.
“We started in 2019 with a food truck, probably about a year after I gave up meat and dairy,” Arielle Hawthorne tells Madison365. “I was actually two years without the meat. But when I finally decided to go vegan in January 2018, then we opened the food truck, we noticed that there was kind of a shortage of vegan options in our area. And that kind of sparked the idea for Twisted Plants.”
The Hawthornes’ goal is to spread their love of vegan comfort food with others. Their menu consists of a plethora of vegan burger options, which are served with fries, and they have options where you can build your own burger. They offer salads and appetizers including cauliflower bites, plant-based hot dogs, and loaded fries. They work hard daily to ensure they serve quality vegan food to their patrons.
“Every day to this point had been a learning experience, for the most part,” said Brandon Hawthorne. “Of course, it has its challenges. This was our first time diving into a brick-and-mortar. We come in every day and continue trying to better ourselves at our craft.”
After switching to a vegetarian, then plant-based diet, Arielle is excited to share her food with clients and change how they approach veganism and vegan foods.
“We’re hoping that they if they’re not vegan, that they get to try our food and realize that vegan food can taste good if you put some love into it,” she said.
Twisted Plants also offers gluten-free options for their clients who are interested in and need those food options. The Hawthornes took a risk and opened a vegan restaurant in Wisconsin and were happily surprised with the support they received from their community.
“Wisconsin is associated with dairy and beer,” said Brandon Hawthorne. “To bring a 100% plant-based, vegan, Black-owned restaurant, we were kind of nervous at first. Then once we saw the love and support from everyone, it definitely encouraged us to go harder. That’s what sprouted the second location, which will still be opening in April on the east side of Milwaukee.”
Twisted Plants is currently located at 4905 S Packard Ave, Cudahy, WI. For more information about the restaurant and its full menu, visit: https://www.twistedplants.com/.
