08/25/2026
Aloha Community,
The losses from the storm have knocked me down a notch and given me some time to reflect. After giving my ALL to The Veli these past 2 years, I’ve come to the difficult decision that I simply can’t give any more. I'm sorry 💔
I want to sincerely thank all of our incredible customers, supporters, and staff. Restaurants are a tough business. I couldn’t beat the odds, but I’m proud that I tried and gave it all I could.
The Veli was more than just a restaurant to me. It was my activism. Over the past 2 years, we served more than 12,000 plant-based meals, mostly to non-vegans, and so many of you were surprised by how delicious and filling plant-based food could be! We loved hearing it everyday 🙏🏼
Those meals mean we saved approx 4,000 animals, 4.4 million gallons of water, and 3 acres of land. 🌱 (according to common calculators of the meat and dairy industry)
We showed people that 'bacon' can be made from coconut, chorizo from lentils and pumpkin seeds, kalua-style BBQ from jackfruit, fajitas from organic soy, creamy dairy-free sauces from cashews and seeds, and delicious ice cream from frozen bananas.
Thank you to everyone who was open-minded enough to give us a try and discovered a new favorite. I hope you’ll continue exploring plant-based foods. There is so much versatility with what you can do with beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and spices.
👇🏼What’s Next for The Veli?
The Veli is now looking for a new owner or a new business to lease the space.
👍The space is a turn-key, permitted commercial kitchen in great condition with a covered outdoor dining area that seats 20. If it’s not leased as a restaurant, I’m also open to other uses.
What’s working w/ the current concept:
• Wonderful regular customers
• 176 great online reviews across Google, Yelp, Facebook, and HappyCow
• Experienced staff and established systems
• Original recipes with beloved favorites like our BLT Wrap, Nachos, and Burritos
• Main Street location surrounded by long-standing anchor businesses and good foot traffic
What’s not working:
• Sales are too low to cover current costs
• I’m burnt out, working 3 jobs while dealing w/ lifelong chronic health conditions (that have gotten worse with age and stress) & little support
• Most people still don’t know The Veli exists....it needs a comprehensive marketing plan
• I no longer have the money or personal capacity to expand hours or invest in marketing
• Trump's policies have made it harder for restaurants too (tariffs and wars causing food prices to go up and massive layoffs affecting spending)
What’s needed:
A new owner who can devote themselves to the restaurant full-time and/or has the financial backing and resources to expand the hours and invest in stronger marketing to launch The Veli into phase 2.
Or another restaurant concept to lease the space. And if possible, I hope they’ll consider keeping some of our community favorites, like the BLT Wrap and Nachos (also good for any restaurant to have some plant-based options)
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting The Veli and believing in what we were trying to do. ❤️🌱
For leasing inquiries and details, please email [email protected]
