ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A new plant-based cafe in Allentown is creating a lot of buzz in the local vegan community.
Living Electric, offering vegan, all-natural juices, smoothies and meals, opened a few months ago at 1502 Chew St.
The space previously housed Hummus House, a family-operated eatery known for its twists on classic Middle Eastern cuisine, which moved to East Third Street in south Bethlehem in late 2021.
Living Electric, a plant-based cafe offering all-natural juices, smoothies and meals, opened a few months ago at 1502 Chew St. in Allentown.
Living Electric owner Jessica Cruz is serving up an array of creative, made-to-order dishes, including vegan tacos, quinoa stir-frys and pasta primavera, along with cold-pressed juices such as “magic pear” and smoothies such as “mango berry blast.”
The food and drinks aren’t just attracting vegans, though. Customers adhering to a wide range of diets are flocking to the shop.
“I had a guy come in who eats meat, and when I came over to give him the bill, he said that he enjoyed our vegan chop cheeze more than the original chopped cheese with beef that he had in New York,” Cruz said. “I was blown away. It was such a huge compliment.”
Cruz, a former hair stylist, began making vegan meals for clients, friends and family as a side venture in 2017.
“It started with one friend,” Cruz said. “The next thing I knew, I was doing it for her sister, another friend and another friend, and it just kept growing from there. At one point, I was doing meal prep for about 16 people, making deliveries three times a week.”
Living Electric, a plant-based cafe offering all-natural juices, smoothies and meals, opened a few months ago at 1502 Chew St. in Allentown.
“When this space became available, I decided to finally just make the leap and open my own cafe. It’s kind of funny how it all worked out because I was a faithful customer of Hummus House when it was operating here.”
At Living Electric, customers can build their own creations by choosing from various plant-based options, including walnut meat, chickpea tuna, stewed chickpeas, oyster mushrooms or portobello mushrooms, and incorporating them into dishes such as avocado toast, coconut wraps and margherita pasta.
The vegan tacos and chop cheeze have been especially popular, Cruz said.
“Our walnut meat, which is similar to ground beef, is definitely a top seller,” she added. “People can’t get enough of that in their tacos, with our cashew cheese sauce, avocados, lettuce and tomatoes. We also have a ‘Buddha Bowl,’ with roasted potatoes, rosemary and whatever else people want. Some customers will load their items up with mushrooms, stewed chickpeas and walnut meat.”
Living Electric, a plant-based cafe offering all-natural juices, smoothies and meals, opened a few months ago at 1502 Chew St. in Allentown.
The 16-seat cafe also serves specialty drinks such as herbal coffee, ImmuniTea, Key lime refreshers and smoothies such as “strawberry nana.”
Customers can customize their smoothies with a variety of ingredients, including ginger, greens, cayenne pepper and hemp seeds.
Another option is sea moss, which has a wide array of health benefits, including assisting with weight loss, reducing inflamation, supporting liver and kidney functions and improving skin issues such as acne and eczema.
“I came up with the name, Living Electric, because we’re electrical beings,” Cruz said. “At the end of the day, our food is what’s fueling our bodies. So, when we consume certain things, there’s good fuel and not so good fuel.”
Living Electric, a plant-based cafe offering all-natural juices, smoothies and meals, opened a few months ago at 1502 Chew St. in Allentown.
Living Electric, which will have outdoor seating beginning in the spring, is open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The cafe will host an Animal Defenders Greater Lehigh Valley meet-up, featuring raffles and other fun, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.
For more information or to place a take-out order, call 484-232-9345 or visit livingelectricllc.com.
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