State Street got its first purely vegan restaurant Wednesday when John McCune opened the fast-casual Sookie’s Veggie Burgers in what had been Koi Sushi, 502 State St.
McCune, 25, a former vegan, now vegetarian, who grew up in Stoughton, sold his vegan sandwiches at East Side Madison festivals last year from Sookie’s food trailer, which he sold in January.
He and his partner, Elle Borden, started Sookie’s in 2019 after they graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and won a business-startup competition through the business school.
Early in the pandemic, they set up across from Milwaukee’s Discovery World and had customers order through a phone app without leaving their vehicles.
The couple moved to Madison from Milwaukee so Borden could go to UW-Madison Law School.
The trailer’s two burgers, the sweet potato pecan and the black bean walnut, are no more. “We just wanted to go nut-free in a big way,” McCune said, adding that the idea was to make his food more accessible.
People are also reading…
Customers can order sandwiches on a regular bun or opt for a gluten-free bun or a lettuce wrap for the same reason, he said.
The restaurant has six sandwich options: an Impossible burger, vegan chicken sandwich, portabella mushroom burger, sweet heat beet burger, chipotle black bean and black bean quinoa burger.
Sookie’s uses vegan cheeses and vegan mayo.
The restaurant sells guacamole and chips, and fries and sweet potato fries that are made in commercial air fryers instead of deep fryers to lessen the amount of oil and make them a bit healthier, McCune said. Air fryers also lead to a cleaner working environment, he noted.
McCune said he and his creative director, Esperanza Tyson, have “classed” up the space with 60 to 70 plants. “So, we are plant-based to the extreme,” he said. Tyson is also responsible for the wavy rainbow mural on the wall.
Madison lacked many vegetarian and vegan choices, particularly on State Street and near the UW-Madison campus, McCune said. “Typically, restaurants, if they have plant-based options, will only have one or two things.”
In an attempt to be as sustainable as possible, McCune said he’s using only biodegradable packaging. “That’s really important to us because the whole reason we’re providing plant-based options is because it is better for the planet as a whole.”
McCune said when he and Borden were coming up with a name for the trailer, he suggested his last name, but Borden said, ” ‘that’s such a guy thing to do, (giving it) your own name’. So, we ended up naming it after her family’s dog instead.”
And the dog was named after Sookie Stackhouse of The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series, he said.
Sookie’s is taking up part of the space that was Koi Sushi. The building’s landlord divided the former restaurant into two spaces.
The separate, smaller one, Diamond’s Café, has an entrance on Gilman Street.
Sookie’s is open from noon until 8 p.m. daily.
“We don’t want people to have to compromise when they’re choosing what to eat and what to consume,” McCune said. “We want to provide clean alternatives to some of the other stuff that’s out there.”
39 Madison-area restaurant, bar and coffee shop openings in 2021, including more on the way
North Carolina Folk Festival Celebrates City’s International Cuisines with Folk A’Fare Fundraiser Folks Enjoying the 2019 Folk A-Fare fundraiser at Lawn Stage (Photo by Marshall Hurley) Greensboro, N.C., March 29, 2022 — Tickets went on sale today for the North Carolina Folk Festival’s annual fundraiser Folk A’Fare which will be […]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.