When I started this journey, I made a promise to be honest. That meant 2 things to me.

The first was to always serve from the heart. Everyday Vegan is not just about selling vegan products. It is about kindness. I want to serve you well, and make it easier for you to choose kindness, everyday.

The second was to always be honest with the story of Everyday Vegan Grocer. This means I would share both the good and bad news with you. 

In that spirit, I have some not-so cheery news to share with you this morning. 3 in total 😅.

Bad news no.1

Herbivan is still in the workshop. For those who don’t know, Herbivan is my new van. I was told that Herbivan will only be ready tomorrow (fingers crossed), and when it is, I promise to start looking into expanding my delivery slots so I can serve you at other times of the day too.

Bad news no.2

That’s not so bad I thought to myself. 1 week of delay and I’m back on track. Well, last Monday, I had just reached my last stop for the night and was attempting an awkward manoeuvre to park my car. My Hybrid must have heard me wishing for the van, because I lost control and drove my little Hybrid right into a high curb and heard the front bumper go crunnnnch. Ouch.

It still hurts to think about it. Don't worry. No one got hurt, except my car, bank account and dignity. Sigh.

Bad news no.3

This one was a real heart breaker.

My lease to the new store at Joo Chiat did not work out.

I will not be opening my first retail store along Joo Chiat road after all.

Long story short, the tenancy agreement was about 50 pages long and was peppered with a million legalese terms and conditions.

After 2 long hours of reviewing it with my hubby (and google), and then another 1 hour negotiating the terms with the landlord, we decided that we would not take the lease. I felt that the terms were too one-sided and as a tiny business, I really could not shoulder the risk. 

This was a real heart breaker. Those of you who have been following my story so far will know that I really had my heart set on the beautiful conservation shophouses along Joo Chiat Road.

To top it all off, this week has been a super slow week of sales. It happens 😏. Especially when a particular big e-commerce business is having a massive sale 😅.

As I write this, I am reminded that nothing worth building is ever easy. 

Whether you are starting a family, learning the ropes to a new job, or in my case, trying to build a vegan grocer, it takes strength, a positive mindset and balance.

So despite this week’s challenges we are looking forward to the next step.

We have already scouted out some areas in Thomson, Toa Payoh, Grandstand and Clarke Quay. So far, they are either way too small or way too expensive. But I am confident I will find the right spot soon. (Maybe you have suggestions? Leave them in the comments and I will definitely take it into consideration 🙏😊 ).

To end today's story, I leave you with a new image of my store concept. Even though this model was built with the Joo Chiat Shopfront in mind, I will still be carrying forward the design to the new place.

I look forward to serving you there 🙏😊.

Keep you posted!

Love,

Amanda