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Root2Rise opened its doors on Monday, June 28. The cafe is located at 359 Manville Road in Pleasantville.
Jyoti Tewani, who opened the restaurant with her husband Raj Tewani and co-founder Chef Michael Kagan, said she has been working on the menu for the business for the past three years.
Jyoti said her background is in nutrition, and she was already working on promoting "clean eating" with her clients.
She said she eventually went to culinary school, and she knew she wanted to open a restaurant that was completely plant-based.
Jyoti said when she would look for gluten-free foods, they often were too crumbly and dry, and she knew there was a need for tasty, gluten-free options.
She said the Root2Rise menu is between 90 to 95 percent locally sourced and organic. She said all the produce is organic and locally sourced.
“People are interested in this kind of eating," she said. "They’ve been very open and very welcoming.”
The two most popular items on the menu so far have been the Dan Dan Bowl, which is made with zoodles, and the Chickpea Quinoa Chaat Salad, Jyoti said.
She said the restaurant's toasts have also been popular, including the "Mumbai Cheese Toast," a gluten-free sourdough toast topped with avocado, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and roasted cumin.
“For me, this has been a labor of love," Jyoti said. "I’m very passionate about anti-inflammatory eating.”
Root2Rise also offers a variety of cold-pressed juices, from the "20/20 Vision" juice made with carrots, orange and ginger to the "Lean Green," which is made with greens, cucumber and green apple.
She said so far, the business has seen a positive response from customers.
“I’m just so surprised we’ve only been open for six weeks and it's been an overwhelming response from people with Celiacs and people who are plant-based," she said. "People are so happy we are here.”
Learn more about hours and the menu on the Root2Rise website.
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