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Since opening their holistic North Limestone business Granola Culture in 2015, Melinda “Min” Johnson and her partner, Brandon Rexach, have continued to build on the concept and community that surrounds it. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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Granola Culture and FIKA Vegan Cantina are located on the corner of North Limestone Street and Loudoun Avenue, in the second-story space above Broomwagon BIkes & Coffee. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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With natural hardwood accents, tropical plants, ambient lighting and a mostly-neutral color palette featuring pops of blue, the 1,500- square-foot, two-room space housing Granola Culture and FIKA Vegan Cantina was designed to emanate a tranquil Caribbean mood. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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With natural hardwood accents, tropical plants, ambient lighting and a mostly-neutral color palette featuring pops of blue, the 1,500- square-foot, two-room space housing Granola Culture and FIKA Vegan Cantina was designed to emanate a tranquil Caribbean mood. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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With natural hardwood accents, tropical plants, ambient lighting and a mostly-neutral color palette featuring pops of blue, the 1,500- square-foot, two-room space housing Granola Culture and FIKA Vegan Cantina was designed to emanate a tranquil Caribbean mood. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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With natural hardwood accents, tropical plants, ambient lighting and a mostly-neutral color palette featuring pops of blue, the 1,500- square-foot, two-room space housing Granola Culture and FIKA Vegan Cantina was designed to emanate a tranquil Caribbean mood. Photo by Theresa Stanley
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Johnson’s cosmetics line was the impetus for the couple’s business. Products are all handcrafted locally using natural, organic products. Photo by Theresa Stanley
When Melinda “Min” Johnson made her first foray into Lexington’s entrepreneurial community – debuting her line of homemade, organic cosmetics at the NoLi CDC Night Market in December 2015 – little did she know that less than a year later, she and her partner, Brandon Rexach, would be the owners of their own North Limestone brick-and-mortar business. After seeking a space to house Johnson’s burgeoning homemade cosmetics business, the couple opened Granola Culture in 2016, evolving their original concept into a full-blown community wellness and yoga studio.
“We had so much open space that we decided to just make it into a sacred space and offer yoga here,” said Rexach of the 1,500-square-foot North Limestone space, which was the former office of local creative agency Bullhorn. “There was no yoga on this side of town.”
This year, the couple, who are in their mid-20s, is celebrating another milestone for their business: the August opening of FIKA Vegan Cantina, Lexington’s only all-vegan eatery.
Named after a Swedish cultural concept that means “to stop for a moment to enjoy life with good food, good beer and good friends,” FIKA serves lunch and dinner (and beer!) Tuesday through Saturday, as well as Sunday brunch. According to Johnson and Rexach, the eatery was a natural extension of their wellness-oriented business.
“Granola Culture is an umbrella,” Johnson explained. “We want to have the service side with yoga and products – but not just cosmetics: a completely holistic place you can trust.”
Stepping foot inside FIKA and Granola Culture is a bit like getting off a plane and stepping onto a small Caribbean island: Upbeat but relaxing music plays throughout the space, which is decorated in neutral colors with pops of sky and ocean blue. The tranquil island vibe is enhanced by tropical plants, hardwood accents and ambient lighting.
For the young couple, the Caribbean aesthetic is not incidental.
“My heart and soul are in the Caribbean,” Johnson said. “My mother and father met in St. Thomas, and Brandon is full-blooded Puerto Rican.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, when Rexach and Johnson expanded their holistic business to include the eatery this year, they opted for a menu centering on innovative vegan fare with a Caribbean flare. All of the menu’s items – which include jackfruit carnitas, a “Zen burrito” and guacamole with plantain chips – are made in-house, with organic (and local, when possible) ingredients.
But there’s one item common among vegan recipes that you won’t find on FIKA’s menu.
“Nothing is soy-based,” said Rexach.
“The vegan market is saturated with soy,” Johnson continued. “Everywhere you go, if you eat vegan, it had some sort of tofu in it, which is soy-based. There isn’t a lot of nutritional value [in soy], so we try to stay away from that as much as possible.”
“A lot of places that try to do this are lacking in flavor or nutrients, so we’re trying to hit all of those points,” Rexach said.
While Johnson’s recipes have long been a big hit among her friends and family, FIKA is her introduction to cooking for the public.
“I’ve always loved to cook,” Johnson explained. “The only reason we didn’t start with food was because my [professional experience] is in cosmetics.”
Having previously worked for Benefit Cosmetics, Johnson’s interest in moving toward organic, homemade products started when she found out she was expecting her first child.
Her familiarity with Benefit’s facilities equipped her with the know-how she needed to create products on her own. Her cosmetics line includes lip conditioner, lip and cheek tint and a variety of skin creams, all handcrafted with natural ingredients and available to purchase at Granola Culture’s storefront (or online at www.granolaculture.com).
Johnson and Rexach have worked hard to develop a community within their business, which they dub “Lexington’s Urban Oasis” and which they describe as an extension of home. Yoga classes often include a complimentary beverage, from kombucha to wine to hot tea – something the owners hope will continue to attract people who wouldn’t normally do yoga.
Likewise, they work hard to make FIKA’s all-vegan menu appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike. While items will be based on the season, the proprietors plan to stick with a Caribbean theme year-round – and eventually, would like to end up in the Caribbean themselves.
“I have my destination in mind, but I won’t tell anyone,” said Johnson with a smile. “It’s my secret spot until I get it.”
World Vegan Month
November is “World Vegan Month,” and FIKA Vegan Cantina will host a “Friendsgiving” – a completely vegan Thanksgiving feast – on Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. Registration is required. Visit this story online at our website for a link to tickets for the event, as well as two vegan-friendly Thanksgiving recipes.