Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Myatt.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kelli. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
About 10 years ago, after a long holiday season of overeating, making poor food choices, and feeling bloated and sluggish, I began to research ways to detox. After reading about and experimenting with just about every fad diet out there, I still was not happy with how I felt. Through research, I discovered that my body craved natural healing and needed a reboot at least once a year.
During this time of searching, I realized I feel best when I eat a plant-based diet with little to no dairy. However, I came to realize that everyone has unique health needs, so what works for me might not be best for you. That is why I create plans and recipes specifically to suit my clients and their families.
I love to cook. I think it stems from my dance background and a passion to create! I love to garden. Growing my own herbs, and produce is fantastically fulfilling. I love to be physically active and I cherish the vessel that God has blessed me with, therefore it is my responsibility to take care of my health. These three aspects: cooking, gardening, and fitness, are the skills that I bring to you. I am happiest when I am taking care of my family, my self, and my community by living the healthiest way I know how, and helping others do the same!
When I stumbled upon the restaurant space, I fell in love with it. The big open windows facing the west bring in lots of light and incredible sunset views. I knew that I was called to be there and be a resource for people to be able to live healthier lives.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Our biggest obstacle is lack of space and visibility. We have a very small kitchen with limited refrigeration. We make everything from scratch, in-house daily so it does present a challenge! We have to stay super organized and have excellent communication with the kitchen staff.
I’m also struggling to keep a balance of having enough staff on duty to prepare the fresh food and having enough sales to support the costs of running a restaurant. I do not want to lower my staffing because I want to provide the freshest food possible. All we need is more traffic!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a Vegan/Vegetarian cafe serving breakfast lunch and dinner. Our regular lunch and dinner hours are Monday through Saturday 11am-9pm. We just started our breakfast all day menu this past Sunday and will continue that with the hours of 9am-6pm. We use produce from my personal organically grown garden where possible and in season.
We are different from any other V/V restaurant because we do not use any soy products, fillers, or anything artificial. We specialize in HUMMUS! We use organic chickpeas and slow soak/cook them with special spices to give them the base texture and flavor. We have seven different creamy flavors to choose from. People also really love our protein bars, which are unlike any other bar you’ve tasted. There are four mainstay varieties; Goji (tastes like a berry muffin), Amaranth (tastes like peanut butter and jelly), Hemp (tastes like banana bread) and Maca (earth and seedy). They are meal replacement bars with a whopping 19-23 grams of protein in each bar!individually wrapped, they make it easy to grab breakfast out of the fridge or pack a power snack!
We are most proud of our effort to be a zero-waste operation, leaving the smallest footprint possible. All the vegetable remnants that we have to go into a pot to make our own daily broth. The broth determines our Soup of the day! Whatever food cannot be used goes into our compost bin and eventually turned back into the soil we garden with. We recycle even though our complex does not have a large recycle container. As of now we take turns taking everything home each night to our personal recycle and compost bins. I would really like to be the pioneer for a “Blue Zone” movement in the Watauga /Keller area.
We use local filtered water for all of our cooking. Anything edible or drinkable gets the “good” water! Tap water is just for washing dishes and cleaning. We support our community by hosting a monthly Open Mic Night where we invite anyone with a voice or a talent to come share. We stay open until 11 for this event and feature a different late night vegan snack each month. March is Vegan Sloppy Joe’s!
We also host “Arts and Beets” which is a culmination of local visual artists, vendors and musicians from the metroplex. We stay open until 2 am for this event and as always, BYOB is perfectly acceptable!we feature different talent about every six weeks so that you can listen to the bands, take in the art, and enjoy local plant-based food all in one night!
Do you feel like our city is a good place for businesses like yours? If someone was just starting out, would you recommend them starting out here? If not, what can our city do to improve?
I feel the energy rising in Watauga. I think we are on the cusp of huge growth and the vibe is comparable to Denton, or even Austin! The housing market is on fire and people are seeking businesses who are compassionate, conscientious and peaceful. Our space is not the most convenient or highly visible one. We are upstairs, and there is limited signage. Before I opened, many said this just won’t work, but guess what? It’s working! We are the hole in the wall place that people are talking about!
I have a detailed vision for expansion which includes more space within the complex and even a rooftop bar area. I would like to see at least two more locations with five years. I am working on the new packaging so that we can sell our bars in other retail settings. We love to do table events and festivals. I’d love to be the first healthy vendor at the Texas State Fair too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehealthyhippie.squarespace.com/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/kelliskgs/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
