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Walking into Café Verve, the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods fills the air. While the State College café serves everything from burgers to breakfast burritos, all of the food there has one thing in common: it’s vegan.
For a rising number of Americans, veganism and vegetarianism are becoming staple diets across the country — with vegan generally meaning a person who does not use or consume any animal products, and vegetarian generally meaning a person who does not consume meat.
Café Verve opened up last December at 115 E. Beaver Ave. The café serves a variety of vegan foods — including sandwiches, snacks, baked goods, smoothies and more.
Heather Jones, a co-owner of Café Verve, said the café brings a new twist to State College dining that wasn’t there before.
“You can go somewhere and get vegetarian [food] or cut out the cheese and do a lot of makeshift vegan meals,” Jones said. “[But] you can come here, and get anything and not have to worry about any meat or any diary or eggs,” Jones said.
Though the café serves only vegan foods, Jones said customers with a variety of diets eat there.
“People come with their friends, they want to try something new,” Jones said. “I think a lot of people are open minded.”
The café, which is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., boasts over 65 items on the menu that can be ordered both in person and through OrderUp.
The Penn State Vegetarian club and other students on campus have expressed excitement about Café Verve — especially because the food served there isn’t only “health food.”
“Anything can be ‘veganized’ — whether it’s sandwiches, [breakfast] items, or baked goods,” Jones said. “You can have a completely delicious and beautiful meal without having to have animal on your plate.”
While Jones said there are no immediate plans for expanding Café Verve, she would love to see it grow in the future as she sees a need for more plant-based options on the east coast.
With the addition of Café Verve to the downtown dining scene, vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming more accessible for Penn State students and State College residents alike. Even for those who eat omnivorous diets, one thing is for sure — Café Verve has planted itself here to stay.