Since debuting in 2023, Bougie Bites has come a long way, from humble beginnings as a food truck and ghost kitchen to a brand new brick-and-mortar storefront in Overland. The plant-based eatery opened its permanent home to the public on June 18, featuring a full menu of comforting vegan fare for quick and convenient carryout seven days a week.
Latoya Elnora Thompson originally launched the brand two years ago to address an apparent need for plant-based food accessibility in St. Louis. While not strictly vegan herself, the self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur felt inspired to fill a gap in the market for bold, delicious and guilt-free late-night options. Her food truck rolled out in February 2023, followed by a ghost kitchen at The Hill Food Co. in September 2023. Quickly outgrowing the limited 100-square-foot space, she started searching for an expanded flagship location and found the ideal setting in a 1,700-square-foot North County storefront.
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Bougie Bites joins a diverse shopping plaza down the road from I-170’s Page Avenue exit, beside neighboring businesses Sides of Seoul, Las Palmas and O! Wing Plus. At the takeout-only counter, guests can grab satisfying savory entrees like burgers, tacos and more, all presented in a polished package. Thompson, who graduated from Fontbonne University with a degree in fashion merchandise, has a keen eye for bright and memorable aesthetics and puts her skills to the test with dynamic branding, from the restaurant’s whimsical royal purple and yellow wall wrappings to its matching logoed liners and bags.
Although Bougie Bites’ playful name hints at sophistication, Thompson aims to offer something that anyone can seek comfort in. When a catastrophic tornado turned the lives of many St. Louis residents upside down in May, she put her vegan meals on wheels to good use by joining forces with World Central Kitchen to help hand out nourishment to many who were affected.
“It really is beyond food. It’s a sense of community and particularly accessibility and approachability for underserved black and brown communities,” Thompson says. “I envisioned an alternative to regular dairy-based, meat-based food for people who have thought about being vegan and worked with a chef to create recipes that would taste good and be very familiar.”…