Meet Laura Ross | Co-Owner – Cleveland Vegan

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Me and my husband, Justin Gorski, started Cleveland Vegan in 2012. We both had been vegan for several years at the time and he was working in the catering business. While he loved being in the kitchen and working with food, he did not love cooking with animals and animal byproducts.
That was how the idea for our own catering company started. We had a very organic beginning. We never pushed our business but allowed it to tell us what to do, how to grow. We added employees only when we needed to.

After 1 year of renting a small commercial kitchen, we began the search for our own vegan kitchen and space
Once we established our own space, we expanded our operations into a full service cafe and bakery.

What should our readers know about your business?
Our business is Cleveland Vegan and we are an all vegan catering, cafe and bakery. We started off with just two employees – me and my husband. We have been in business since 2012 and now have nearly 45 employees.
It has taken a lot of work, sacrifice and many challenges to arrive where we are today!

I think what sets us apart is that we have a really ethical and hard working team of employees that work with us and our offerings are unique in the community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in Cleveland, OH and here are our favorite places to eat and hang at are Banana Blossom, Amba and Zhug…but Cleveland really has so many incredible restaurants to explore!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Before moving into the world of food service operations, I worked in the social work field at a women’s shelter. Working alongside advocates and social workers, I was inspired to maintain ethics and kindness in whatever work I continued with in my life. Working in that field for nearly 10 years has absolutely helped me to be a more compassionate business owner. I am forever grateful for that experience.

Website: www.clevelandvegan.com

Instagram: @clevelandvegancateringandcafe

Facebook: @clevelandvegancateringandcafe