Atlanta’s Westside Motor Lounge hosts Vegan Social ATL
Vegans and those who love them flock to the Westside Motor Lounge every Wednesday evening for The Vegan Social ATL event. Here you will find a gathering of unique small business owners and an array of vegan delicacies.
The lively atmosphere features a DJ, speed dating, prizes, and dancing mixed with opportunities to celebrate and connect with a growing community of health-conscious enthusiasts.
Artist Linia White, the founder of Paper Luxe Studios, decided to participate as a vendor and display artwork that she said resonated deeply with herself and her community.
White said that she felt her art would relate particularly well with an audience that values health and well-being at The Vegan Social ATL.
“I graduated from art school in 2004,” White said. “So, I’ve been creating artwork for corporations for decades, and I finally got to the point where I said, let me create some artwork for myself and for my people and my vision.”
She founded her company with a mission to offer unique coloring books aimed at promoting mental health and self-care.
“My coloring books are not just coloring books. They also have journal prompts,” White said. “I wanted to create something to help us relax and calm down, but at the same time have imagery that reflects us as a people.
Mya Williams, another small business participant, was introduced to The Vegan Social ATL by her daughter and decided to showcase her business, Soil & Splendor, which sells live plants and plant accessories.
“My daughter is vegan, and I came here with her one time and was like, maybe I should be a vendor at the event,” Williams said. “But I actually came here because of my daughter just to check out the scene.”
Williams’ venture into the world of plants began with her personal collection of more than 800 plants. Encouraged by her husband, Williams transformed her passion into a business in 2024.
“My husband told me that, you know, this is my calling, and this is something that I should probably do,” Williams said. “And since I’m doing it anyway, I might as well just try to start a business and make money from it.”
Williams said that her favorite plant, the Anthurium Queen, is known for its dramatic beauty, and learning to grow plants comes with trial and error.
“I often hear people say, I don’t have a green thumb. I feel like if you just have a love of plants and that’s where it starts,” Williams said. “There is no handbook, and nothing is perfect. I’ve had some failures in my plant experience, but you learn, and you continue to grow.”
The Vegan Social ATL’s centerpiece is a display of vegan food vendors. From pizza to soul food and Asian-inspired dishes, the row of food trucks is where the congregation of patrons begins.
Chef Key and Wendesay Key, co-owners of the mobile catering business Sometimeatarian, have been in business for five years, with four of those years operating out of their mobile unit.
Although the duo primarily caters private events, Wendesay said that it was important for them be a part of The Vegan Social ATL.
“There are not a lot of vegan options here in Atlanta,” Wendesay said. “Here there’s a diverse group of food vendors and non-food vendors. It’s a vibe and it’s just a really nice thing to do in the middle of the week.”
Wendesay spoke about her family’s decision to go plant-based and how this journey has positively impacted their health.
“My family was all experiencing health challenges, and the only thing that we could kind of relate to everybody was the diet. Primarily everybody was physical, healthy otherwise,”
Wendesay said. “So, we all went plant-based together, and it has made a difference ever since.”
According to Wendesay, Sometimeatarian’s standout dish is their Yakisoba Noodles, and it remains a community favorite.
Attendees Prince and Tori Ogakwu are newcomers to the vegan scene. Motivated by health concerns, the couple said that they phased out different types of meat from their diet while discovering the benefits of plant-based eating along the way.
“Last year we started, and we gradually got away from chicken,” Tori said. “Now we only eat seafood. We’re trying to transition out of seafood, but it’s hard to find good quality vegan food.”
The Ogakwu’s said that The Vegan Social ATL has a variety of flavorful vegan dishes that make the transition from meat easier.
“My favorite dishes are the pineapple bowl from Vegan Ahava and the vegan hotdogs from Nut Café,” Prince said.
“There’s plenty of vendors out here selling plenty of stuff that you would definitely like,” Tori said. “[The] energy is always right, and the people are always accepting. So, I would just say come out and enjoy it.”
