Memphis Black Restaurant Week founder Cynthia Daniels is at least partially responsible for plant-based restaurant Sun of a Vegan.

“Cynthia Daniels inboxed me in May 2021 to be a part of her Memphis Vegan Festival in June, and I had no idea who she was,” said Sun of a Vegan co-owner Ayesha Collier. “I joke with her now that I thought she was trying to scam me out of (the) $75 (vendor fee).” 

At the time, Collier wasn’t a restaurateur; she was just documenting her new vegan journey on Instagram.

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And then, suddenly, “I had 30 days to become Sun of a Vegan,” she said.

But the restaurant business suited Collier, and her family’s vegan pop-up was born. Last month, that pop-up opened a brick-and-mortar space in the Hickory Ridge Mall, and now Sun of a Vegan is one of the many local restaurants participating in MBRW.

Sun of a Vegan’s menu is filled with familiar foods designed to appeal to both vegans and the veg-curious, dishes such as tacos, nachos, burgers and the restaurant’s signature lasagna. Those items are made with Collier’s seasoned soy-based plant meat with names like “veef” and “vicken” (the V stands for vegan). 

About that lasagna: Collier started making her signature vegan lasagna on Thursdays during their pop-ups, and it became so popular she’d sell out every time. The layered casserole is made with a mushroom-soy meat mixture, handmade almond ricotta, an herb-roasted marinara, sautéed spinach, lasagna noodles and seasoned dairy-free cheese shreds. 

“I kept hearing, ‘So, do you guys have any more lasagna?’ It just became a thing all on its own. I don’t know the magic in it, but it took over,” Collier said.

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For MBRW, Sun of a Vegan is offering four basket specials: vegan chicken and waffles for breakfast and three lunch/dinner baskets (a Philly cheesesteak with fries, an oyster mushroom wings basket with fries and a basket of chopped BBQ “vicken,” baked beans and coleslaw).

Collier’s goal with the restaurant is to help people reduce their meat consumption by providing “transition foods” that aren’t too far off from the non-vegan foods they’re familiar with.

“Let me bring you what you’re used to without the meat so you can have that eureka moment when you realize this food can taste just like something you grew up eating,” Collier said. “Food doesn’t have to bog you down. This food is not greasy; there’s no cholesterol. It’s not salad, but it’s a break for your digestive system, because you’re not eating all that heavy fat.”

Collier made that discovery herself when she started experimenting with veganism back in January 2021. She was looking for a way to feel better, and after a little research, she decided to dip her toe into plant-based waters.

“I did a raw fast for 28 days that February, and I had so much clarity after that. I felt better. I had more energy. I realized I didn’t have to eat meat every day,” Collier said.

Collier posted about her food journey on her Instagram, and that eventually caught the attention of Daniels who was planning the Memphis Vegan Festival. After Daniels reached out to Collier about serving food at the festival, Collier jumped into action. She created a massive menu and spent about $5,000 on food, equipment and licensing for the event.

“I was freaking out. I seriously thought we’d go home with the food we came with,” she said. “Well, we completely sold out. At one point, my sister told the people in line that we were sold out, and nobody moved. At that point, I realized I had something.”

After the fest, Collier started selling plates of food out of her home on Sundays. She’d advertise the week’s special on Instagram, and people would place pre-orders. Collier and her family — husband (and restaurant co-owner) Calvin and their two teenagers Ahseya and Isaiah — continued Sun of a Vegan pop-ups at various festivals and outside of a local gym. In February 2022, they were invited to set up at a Memphis-Shelby County Schools showcase event at the Hickory Ridge Mall. 

“And that’s when I was told by God, the universe or something that I was going to open a business in the Hickory Ridge Mall. That had not been on my radar at all,” Collier said. “So I decided to get in contact with the person who was over the mall.”

Of course, opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant rarely goes according to schedule. Once the family secured a lease, they assumed they’d be open there in a few months. Sun of a Vegan continued their regular gym pop-ups, and they decided to ask permission to set up a food tent in the mall parking lot while they readied the indoor space.

“We did good enough there for us to continue to set up for seven months. We broke three tents. We have been rained on, hailed on and blown away, but our customers keep showing up,” Collier said.

Then, in February, a year after signing their lease, Sun of a Vegan finally celebrated its grand opening inside the mall. Over the past few weeks since then, business has picked up substantially.

For now, Sun of a Vegan is a family affair with all four of the Colliers working in the restaurant.

“But since we moved into the mall, I’m thinking we need a crew,” Collier said. “I’m like, where are all these people coming from? Did you miss us outside when we were in that tent? Now it’s such an influx of people. It’s crazy. I would like to thank all of our new and loyal customers for their continued support.”