Editor's Note: The Eastern Echo staff meets regularly with interesting people on and off campus. Engage in those conversations with us through our weekly Q&A report. This week, we talk with Brad and Melanie Lemont, who are celebrating a year in business by participating in the Ypsi Vegan Fest 2025.
This year's Ypsi Vegan Fest features more than 20 vendors offering a taste of plant-based foods, including Plant Based Coneys. Located in Depot Town, the coney shop is owned by Melanie and Brad Lemont, who said they are celebrating the festival because it marks the launch of their sustainably-focused business.
The Lemonts opened Plant Based Coneys just one month before the 2024 Ypsi Vegan Fest. They were also among the vendors in that event, and they are returning to this year's festival, bringing impossible hot dogs and vegan chili back to the streets.
Organized by VEGMichigan, a nonprofit group that promotes the benefits of plant-based diets, the festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, in the parking lot of the 301 building at 301 W. Michigan Ave. Admission is free. The event includes cooking demonstrations, sustainable shopping, and of course, the food vendors.
In addition to Plant Based Coneys, the vendors listed as participants include Zella's Bakery, Cinnaholic Ann Arbor, Detroit Jerky, Mama Pizza, Radical Plants, the Karma Wellness Kitchen and Sweet Creations by Michigan. Nonprofit organizations will also be present. For a complete list of participating vendors, stores and organizations, visit the Ypsi Vegan 2025 Fest website.
Q: What is the importance of participating in Ypsi Vegan Fest for you?
Brad Lemont: It was our first big festival, and it was a lot of fun. We got to meet a lot of new people, and the timing was great, being able to get our name out so close after opening.
Q: How do you feel about the vegan options in Ypsilanti?
Melanie Lemont: I love the local restaurants. One of our goals was to get in here and not compete with other businesses, but have a chance for everyone to piggyback off the fact that vegan food can be delicious.
Brad Lemont: A few of the vegan places that were here have unfortunately gone out of business in the past year that we've been here, and so, we’d always love to see more variety too.
Q: What would you like the public to know about Plant Based Coneys?
Brad Lemont: Aside from the menu being 100% plant-based, we can also make anything gluten-free. We cook all our fries, tots, breaded chicken sandwiches, and everything in the air fryers. So, it's a healthier version of those food items.
Melanie Lemont: We compost. We partner with this compost company out in Wixom, and they come to pick up our special bin, which they turn into compost, which we use to grow plants.
Q: Have any customer testimonies stuck out to you about their vegan journey or the restaurant?
Brad Lemont: Yes, there are a few carnivores who say that our chili is hands-down better than the restaurant they like. And so, they'll buy our coney sauce to put on regular hot dogs.
Melanie Lemont: Which is a testament to, it's just food that happens to be vegan and tastes really good. That's the goal, anyway.
Q: What was the inspiration behind this menu? Why a coney specifically?
Brad Lemont: We both grew up downriver, and I spent a lot of time in Coney Islands growing up. It was kind of my favorite food place to be. There just wasn't the opportunity to have that as vegans, and so we decided to create our own.
Melanie Lemont: One of the reasons we didn't sort of call ourselves "vegan coney island" is because we didn't want to exclude anyone. We wanted people who are just starting the journey or still eating meat to feel comfortable coming in here.
Plant Based Coneys is located at 42 E. Cross St. in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. The restaurant is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, except Wednesdays.
