Plant-based restaurant opens in the Old City

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A new plant based restaurant called Vid’l opened its doors Monday in the Old City. The restaurant will serve breakfast and lunch to its customers, including a daily porridge, veggie burgers and heirloom beans.

Jenna Baker, the owner of Vid’l, said there is a lot of risk that goes into opening a restaurant, especially after so many closed during the pandemic.

“I think this specific type of business of plant-based food, something on the healthier spectrum, is something that Knoxville really needs and there’s a market here for it so I’m pretty excited to be taking the risk,” Baker said.

Baker said this originally started as a meal prep business, but the new restaurant is a great expansion.

“I think offering the restaurant gives people the chance to experience the food in a comfortable, fun, inviting space,” Baker said.

The restaurant works with local farms to provide the healthy options, but has plans to grow their own vegetables in the future. The building came with a grow room that the previous owners of the building installed for its CBD products. Vid’l converted it into a grow room for its vegetables.

The restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays. Tuesday-Saturday it is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.