I'm getting Surgery and we need your help!!!

Hi, My name is Lyana Blount and I am the Founder/Chef/Author of Black Rican Vegan in NYC. I specialize in soul food and Puerto Rican cuisine with a vegan twist. I attend and host many pop-ups around NYC and even out of state. I started my business in 2020 during the height of the pandemic and it quickly became high in demand. Since 2020 I've been nonstop putting out menus and serving most of NYC and other states. I also have been doing countless interviews, feeding celebrities, traveling and working on a cookbook which is now available for pre-order! I did all of this in mind to provide food alternatives to my community and transform plates one at a time.

Now I'm asking for help. I have been grinding hard to make this business as successful as it is now and though I love what I do, I am burned out. I am trying to fix personal health issues and home matters and honestly, it is taking me a lot to ask for help since I've been using out-of-pocket expenses for the last 3 years. However due to food and vendor fee prices going up, I am finding it challenging to pull from the little expenses I have, I told myself for 2023 I would be more intentional about asking for help, collaborating and strategizing and I won't be able to strategize if I'm constantly in the kitchen.

I set a small goal and I am asking for help to raise money to cover expenses for the month while I take a break. I do plan on getting back to work mid-May Since we do have a couple of pop-ups already set up such as Smorgaburg and the Puerto Rican Day parade coming up.

The funds will cover the cost of the commercial kitchen space I use, It will help me make payments towards pop-ups, get inventory and pay staff. I have applied to countless amount of grants with no luck so I am hoping my community and supporters will help out so we can come back even better and continue to serve these delicious vegan dishes.

Every little count and we are super appreciative and grateful for the support.

Thank you

Lyana Blount

Black Rican Vegan