When Renee Fuchs came to Philadelphia from her native Hatboro, she thought she was coming to follow a lucrative career in Human Resources for a local non-profit. Now, years later, as she stands on the verge of opening her very own vegan bakery and cafe, it looks like she made a wrong turn somewhere. But that ‘wrong turn’ has taken her straight to Fishtown, and into a community hungry for even more healthy food and tasty coffee.
All during her tenure at the non-profit, Renee had had side projects as an outlet for her creative energy, even selling homemade doggy treats out of her home. She started making vegan food when her brother was diagnosed with Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, making it impossible for him to digest most traditional baked goods.
Her discovery of a store for rent in Fishtown was what made her decide to make her interest in vegan baked goods into a job. Renee says she was looking for a place “with open-minded people”, and settled on Fishtown over Center City. She says its up-and-coming feel and artistic presence made it seem like a neighborhood that would be more accepting to the concept of a vegan cafe.
Although Renee won’t be baking the food at Bella Sera, it will be provided by a well-regarded regional bakery, Vegan Treats, out of Bethlehem. Renee doesn’t want to push away non-vegan customers, and believes that Vegan Treats makes pastries so good, they’re virtually indistinguishable from non-vegan baked goods.
Renee wants her cafe to be focused on providing healthy, delicious food without harming the environment or exploiting workers in other countries. In that spirit, all the plates at the cafe will be biodegradable, and all the coffee will be Fair Trade. So come out and support the latest addition to the Ave. Renee held her grand opening last Sunday to huge crowd, and is looking forward to more successes to come in the future. Visit their website at www.bellaseracafe.com for more information.
Located at: 2146 E. Susquehanna Ave
Tags: Bella Sera, Businesses
