Canadian fast-casual restaurant Virtuous Pie has opened its first US outpost, fittingly in Portland’s environmentally-minded Hosford-Abernethy neighbourhood. The designers of the 100 per cent plant-based pizza and ice cream establishment have drawn heavily from their surroundings to create an inviting space that balances modernity with the outdoors culture of the Pacific Northwest.
Local studio Bright Designlab were brought in to design the restaurant, working alongside makers Hammer and Hand to utilise the materials available on their doorstep, implementing recyclable or sustainable practices wherever possible. Therefore, whitewashed beams of reclaimed Douglas Fir form the café counter, while wood end-grain designs separate the space into different stations. Meanwhile, a large black marble table encourages customers to sit together and chat over steaming mugs of drip coffee and espresso, selected in collaboration with Oregonian company Heart Coffee Roasters.
‘Portland is an important food city, with an established and vibrant vegan community,’ says Jim Vesal, Virtuous Pie’s executive chef. ‘People are becoming increasingly conscientious about their eating habits and how it affects the environment, and we want to be a part of the movement towards more mindful eating.’ To that end, customers can expect luxurious plant-based pies made with house-made cashew mozzarella and almond ricotta, alongside dairy-free ice cream sandwiches, and floats with soda or kombucha.
