Fuel the Future of Boardwalk Vegan

Boardwalk Vegan isn’t just a restaurant — it’s a nostalgic gathering place, a sanctuary for good vegan Boardwalk-style food, friends, family, and a symbol of resilience, compassion and community.

For years, Chef Randy has poured his heart into every dish, serving awesome plant-based food. Now, after facing Ampullary Cancer, a rare aggressive cancer at the head of his pancreas, rough chemo with multiple hospital stays, and a huge Whipple surgery to save his life, he needs time to heal. He has been in the hospital for over 2 months with many complications. He and Boardwalk Vegan need you.

While Chef Randy focuses on recovery with his wife Krissie by his side, we’re working hard to keep the doors open, staff employed, and the awesome meals coming. But we can’t do it alone.

This fundraiser will help cover:

Hiring a much-loved industry favorite Vegan Chef/Manager for a few months

Additional operational costs while Chef Randy recovers

Payroll for a dedicated kitchen and front-of-house team opening more days

Catching up on some things that fell behind during the worst of days

Your support will help us bridge the gap — and make sure Chef Randy comes back to a thriving, love-filled kitchen.

Every dollar you give helps preserve a vital part of the Boardwalk Vegan community. Whether you’re a longtime regular, a first-time guest, or simply someone who believes in great food with a purpose, we welcome your support with open arms.

Wanna know more?

OUR STORY: How Boardwalk Vegan Was Born from Loss, Love & Resilience

Randy is a US NAVY VETERAN, powerhouse event producer, and self proclaimed Vegan Chef. In 2017, Krissie and Randy stumbled on a documentary called Forks Over Knives and immediately changed to a Plant Based lifestyle.

Randy found his after hours passion learning how to cook amazing Vegan food. Soon he became lovingly known as Chef Randolph-O.

In 2020, as the world stood still and streets emptied during a global pandemic, Boardwalk Vegan was born — not just as a restaurant, but as a lifeline.

At a time when no one was traveling to the shore, our mission was simple: bring the magic of nostalgic, boardwalk-style food to our local community, but with a vegan twist. What began as a fun idea to lift spirits during quarantine became a deeply personal journey for founders Krissie Sumey and her husband, Chef Randy — one shaped by love, loss, and sheer willpower.

Before Boardwalk Vegan, Krissie and Randy owned a nationally recognized, multi-award-winning LIVE events company — a business built on big productions, big dreams, and bigger-than-life experiences. In 2019 at the peak of event season, Randy was shockingly diagnosed with Colon Cancer. After surviving his brief battle, he returned to work. The following week, the pandemic hit and the LIVE events industry collapsed overnight. Suddenly, their world turned upside down again. They hung on for as long as possible, begrudgingly downsizing along the way.

Gone was the 40,000 sq ft warehouse, the showroom, and the life they built in upscale venues in Philadelphia, the Main Line, the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and beyond. Gone was living on the Bay in Ocean City, NJ for ten years, along with all the bells and whistles. Depression crept in. A friend in the same boat loaned them a food truck to make vegan burgers and fries as they awaited events to return and people being allowed to gather together again — but it took much too long and fate had other plans.

Soon, a spark came in the form of a tiny, sun-soaked corner in Havertown, PA.

No plan. No experience in the restaurant industry. No money.

Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, event colleagues and even competitors, along with an incredible landlord who believed in them, Boardwalk Vegan came to life. It quickly became a happy place not just for customers, but for Krissie and Randy — a joyful escape from hardship, and a new home for their creativity and passion. #HaveFunEatHappy