Jackie Sperrazza admits it: She'll occasionally eat dairy when she's dining out. But at her new business, The Happy Carrot, the offerings are all vegan.
Sperrazza is starting small, in a shared kitchen on East Brainerd Road where she prepares all the meals for either delivery or pickup. Each meal, which must be pre-ordered and comes with an entree, a side and a "dessert bite," is plant-based, vegan and only $7.99.
The menu is posted to Facebook weekly with a different meal each day, and is based on whatever fresh produce is available and in season, she said. The only constant on the menu is the Happy Carrot burger with sweet potato garlic and rosemary home fries, which Sperrazza said she has honed over the years and includes only fresh ingredients; no veggie protein thickeners.
"I don't want people to get bored with it, and I don't want to get bored with it myself," she said.
Sperrazza has worked as a nurse for many years and raised four children with the meals Happy Carrot offers, she said.
She has plans to grow and offer more through her new business. With one day's notice, she said, she can prepare take-home meals to feed a family.
"My passion is to try and get out some good lunches to people, particularly those who are caught in the work world whose only choices are usually somewhere fast," Sperrazza said.
The Happy Carrot is located at 6331 East Brainerd Road. Pickup times are Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and delivery is available within a five mile radius for $2. All orders require 15 minutes' advance notice.
For more information, call 505-0843 or find "The Happy Carrot" on Facebook.