Brandon Waller, owner and CEO of Bam’s Vegan, announced on Facebook his shop would be closing at the end of January; the final month became a pop-up with fixed hours and a shortened menu.
Many customers who have been eating at Bam’s Vegan for years were happy to support his final day.
“The food is excellent, he cares about his craft with the food, making healthy food, making good food, and the community,” regular customer Lashunda Patrick says. “When you got somebody like that, the community is going to come out and support him, so he will be missed, but like I said, I'll be waiting to see where he's going to go next.”
Waller began cooking vegan meals in 2016 after becoming vegan and realizing he couldn’t find good meal options. His love for vegan food and helping others make healthy eating choices prevails.
Bam’s Vegan started selling food at pop-ups for other restaurants and then began selling at the Dallas Farmers Market, which led to his first brick-and-mortar where he signed a five-year lease. There were times he struggled with issues in the building but despite this, he prided himself on having excellent customer service.
“When you sign your name on that lease, every problem that now happens in this building is your problem,” Waller says. “So say, if I have to spend two weeks worrying about my electricity or my walk-in going out, I'm still serving customers with a smile, but I'm like, ‘Damn, I got something that's costing me thousands of dollars,’ so it's a gift and a curse.”
To Waller, the end of the lease signified the end of his brick-and-mortar. He decided a new beginning was needed. After much reflection, it was time to move on and use what he learned in Irving and move forward.
“So I think five years was a perfect time to reevaluate, pivot, move around, get a fresh start, fresh beginning, fresh eyes, you know just fresh everything,” Waller said. “So I think that kind of like keeps things from being stagnant.”
Waller's new focus is expanding his brand through a product line. Among the possible product ideas are his signature cheese sauce, brown sugar cornbread mix, ketchup, spices and much more.
Luckily, Andrea Bey, community manager for Prep Dallas Commercial Kitchens, has helped find Waller a home for his business. Prep Dallas rents commercial cooking space and is set to open in early March. Waller will officially have a private suite on April 1.
“He is going to be a phenomenal member because, number one, everyone already loves him,” Bey says. “He has created a lasting impression on so many people, and to see how everyone rallied for him, to see all the love is because he puts love in the food. I felt it because he made an impression on me and I never forgot him.”
In the meantime, he still plans on selling food at the Dallas Farmers Market and will continue to post updates on his social media.
