If you’re a vegan or an avid food truck lover in Bellingham, you’re bound to have sampled food from Sage Against the Machine. This beloved food truck features diverse menu items, all of which are two important things: Vegan and delicious.
With business booming, Sage Against the Machine started to outgrow its shared kitchen.Owners Tara Folenius and Nate Johnson saw it as an opportunity to look for a commissary kitchen. It wasn’t until three years later that their idea would come to fruition in the form of V GO’s Bellingham (Vegans on the Go).
This new space, an old church located on Cornwall avenue, was purchased back in 2020. After facing multiple setbacks, Folenius and Johnson were able to hit the ground running in 2021.
“We definitely bit off more than we thought it was going to be in the beginning,” Folenius says. “But it’s happening. We’re getting it.”
V GO’s operates as a mercantile, offering the same great foods from Sage Against the Machine while also allowing for indoor seating and an all-encompassing vegan store. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from clothing and hygiene products to groceries, pet food, and take-and-heat treats.
“We wanted it to be a one-stop shop for everything. It would have room for a kitchen, for seating, and for a grocery store.” Folenius says. “We really need it here in Bellingham.”
When visiting V GO’s you can shop and eat knowing not only that your products are vegan, but that they’re also sustainable. Folenius says V GO’s will continue to be ocean-friendly by buying in bulk, using compostable products, avoiding single-use plastic, and supporting local animal rescues.
“We want to help spread the word for these small nonprofits that are doing amazing, hard work with these animals,” she says. “We’ve also talked to tons of entrepreneurs who make vegan products. We want to feature them and give them their own space.”
Folenius also hopes to decorate the building’s large walls with local artwork, giving a percentage of proceeds from their sales to those small nonprofits and animal sanctuaries. You can also expect future food tastings, Saturday morning music sessions, and neighborhood block parties on the horizon.
“We have amazing neighbors and we want to showcase them and have fun with them,” she says. “We want to turn it [the block] into a vegan destination.”
While Folenius is excited for all of this, she most looks forward to being an establishment the community can depend on– one where you can walk in knowing that everything is plant-based, vegan, and good for the environment.
1213 Cornwall Ave, Ste. 102, vgosbellingham.com
