FACES. | SANDRA
Sandra | Founder & Managing Owner of WeVegan.
eightonethree: What inspired you to transition from working in the corporate legal world to opening We Vegan in Tampa?
Sandra: Freedom. Freedom to do something I’m passionate about. Freedom to work for something that feels meaningful to me.
eightonethree: How did your experience as a paralegal shape the way you run your business today?
Sandra: It taught me structure in a professional manner. It also prepared me for a leadership role that I didn’t know I was going to encounter later in life. I definitely work more hours now, but of course, we’re working for our business. Everything we put into it, we know is a return directly to us.
eightonethree: What challenges have you faced in introducing and growing vegan cuisine within the Tampa food scene?
Sandra: The biggest challenge was convincing people that plant-based food can be just as delicious, if not more delicious, than food that isn’t plant-based. If people come in with an open mind, it’s a no-brainer. They realize the food is good, and they actually feel better afterward. They don’t feel so heavy. Another challenge was creating a space that feels non-judgmental. Although we are completely plant-based, I prefer to use the word plant-based because I want people to feel comfortable whether they are vegan or not. It’s not just about the food here. It’s about the ambiance, the community, supporting locals, and creating a space where people feel welcome.
eightonethree: How important has the community been to your success?
Sandra: Very important. What’s interesting is that I would say about 90% of our customer base is not fully vegan. Most of the people who support us are not plant-based, which I think is awesome because it shows that we’ve created a comfortable space. A lot of people walk in curious, fall in love with the coffee, start tasting the food, and then of course, they can’t say no to a pastry. Before they know it, they fall in love with us.
eightonethree: What dish on your menu represents both your personal journey and the spirit of Tampa?
Sandra: For Tampa, it would have to be our guava and cream cheese pastelitos. Growing up in Tampa, I would go to the bakery with my dad, especially around Columbus Drive and the Latin bodegas. One of the things you always got was a guava pastry. Being born and raised in Tampa, that was something that felt very connected to the culture here. I didn’t realize how much people would appreciate it when we created a plant-based version. Another one would be our Tampa Cuban sandwich. It’s one of our top sellers, and I’ve had people who are not plant-based tell me it’s one of the best Tampa Cuban sandwiches they’ve ever had.
eightonethree: How has We Vegan evolved from the beginning to where it is now?
It evolved from us doing markets to having three parts of the business: wholesale, e-commerce, and the brick-and-mortar. What we thought was just going to be selling cookies on the weekends turned into an entire brand. As times changed, we found the need for online shipping, delivering to stores, and having our own space. The brick-and-mortar is where we get to be the most creative because it’s our space.
eightonethree: What led you to going plant-based and creating a business around it?
It started with us becoming plant-based as a lifestyle. We also noticed there was a lack of vegan baked goods in the community. We loved going to markets, and we would never find vegan baked goods. People would always say they might try making them eventually, but they never did. So we found a space there. At the time, I really wanted a cookie and couldn’t find one. So we created one.
eightonethree: Why is it important for you to work the register and be present in the business?
Sandra: I like working the register because I love connecting with customers, but also because I want my employees to see me work. There’s never anything they can tell me is impossible because I’ve done it. I’ve worked through the rush. I know how long things take, and I know what the job requires. I also want to be an example of how to speak to people. You can tell your team to be friendly, but everyone has a different version of friendly. I think it’s important for them to see it in action.
eightonethree: What advice would you give to someone considering a career pivot or starting a new business?
Sandra: Don’t overthink it, but actually try it. For food, it can be as simple as making something and having people taste it. If you feel like you have a product people would enjoy, test it out. For me, that meant doing markets. You don’t need everything to be perfect before you start. Sometimes you think you need a tent, a banner, a table, a display case, and all these things. But really, you need the product and a place to start. For us, it snowballed into something we didn’t plan. There isn’t always a perfect plan. You have to start somewhere.
