'This really hurts our hearts': Vegan restaurant in Cape Coral closes after 3-plus years

After 3? years in Cape Coral, Life: The Vegan Drive Thru closed its doors for good.

“This really hurts our hearts,” said co-owner Ryann Urban, who opened the plant-based restaurant with Wulf Schaude on Dec. 30, 2019. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

While Schaude couldn’t discuss the reason for the closure Wednesday, July 26, he did want to make something clear.

“It has nothing to do with our customers, our food or our landlord,” he said. “We really appreciate all of the support we have received in the last week and years.”

After announcing the impending closing last week, a lot of people have been reaching out.

Customers came from coast to coast

“One customer today told me they were here the first week we opened,” said Schaude. “We said we were closing and then we had a record week. Everyone wants to come in one last time.”

“We have a loyal following,” Urban added. “We have customers come up from Bonita, Estero and Naples. Even the east coast. They come here to try something different.”

And a vegan restaurant with a drive-thru was certainly something unique.

“We are the first in the state to have it,” Schaude said. “I think there was one in Colorado and in California but not here.”

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About 70 percent of the Del Prado Boulevard restaurant’s business came via the drive-thru as opposed to indoor dining, which was also offered.

Sandwiches, like the BLTA (a vegan version of a BLT with avocado), were the most popular menu items. The Cali burger ― homemade burger patty with cheeze, avocado, coconut bacon, secret sauce, lettuce and tomato on a soft Crystal bun ― was a best-seller.

And it was all plant-based ― the “bacon” was strips of dehydrated coconut cured with liquid smoke, olive oil and seasonings, while the burger included chopped mushrooms, black beans and quinoa.

Is a return possible?

“There are so many health benefits to vegan,” Urban said. “We still believe in the idea.”

Which is why, paired with the strong community response to the announced closing, you probably haven’t seen the last of them.

“After seeing the amazing support, it’s forced us to consider doing something else here,” Urban said.

“We started and are ending on a positive note,” Schaude added. “We’re working on another vegan restaurant in this building. We will come back one way or another.”

Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The Vegan Drive Thru restaurant suddenly closes in Cape Coral