Vegan Couple Cooking Up Something Better

Fans of Fayetteville’s vegan restaurant, Something Better, had to do without their meat- and dairy-free fix for a couple of weeks last month while the place underwent some revamping.

But the eatery in the Evelyn Hills Shopping Center re-opened March 25 for Sunday brunch with a new menu, new kitchen set-up and other new efficiencies.

Now, “Something Better is even better,” GW Chew, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Tina, says proudly.

The Chews initially opened the restaurant Dec. 4, and say they were overwhelmed by the positive response it received. They’ve done virtually no advertising, but word of mouth and reviews on their Facebook page and urbanspoon.com seem to be doing the trick.

Most of their customers are area business people, such as employees of the Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks across the street on North College, who come by for lunch or stop in after work, they said.

Others, like James and Jessica Pesch of Bentonville, combine their visits to the restaurant with shopping trips to Ozark Natural Foods, which anchors Evelyn Hills.

James Pesch said he and his wife, who are community directors at The Links of Bentonville, make the trip to Fayetteville at least once a week.

“We shop at Ozark Natural Foods, so it’s kind of a twofer,” Pesch said. “We get to get our food products there, and then get to eat at Something Better. We love the place.”

Pesch’s favorite menu item is the Philly Cheeze Steak wrap, which he calls “absolutely phenomenal.” His wife loves the whole-grain Nacho Empire.

Pesch said he likes the Chews’ business model so much, he’s thinking of becoming an investor.

“I never thought I’d invest in a restaurant, because the reality is that most go belly up within five years,” Pesch said. “But I really think he’s got a good business model.”

Something Better’s menu centers around items such as barbecue chicken and beef and broccoli stir-fry — all of which are made with a meat substitute developed by GW Chew called Better Than Meat.

Chew, a Maryland native, said it took him about seven years to come up with a product that met his standards for both taste and texture. He trademarked the name, and handles manufacturing and marketing of the products that can be made to look and taste like chicken, beef or fish.

The restaurant, in a 2,500-SF building at the south end of Evelyn Hills, can seat up to 45 people. The Chews employ three people who are being trained in the restaurant’s business model with an eye to one day becoming managers at other locations.

 Under their business name, Better Than Meat LLC, the couple reported $8,223 in December revenue to the city’s Advertising & Promotion Commission. The commission collects a 1 percent tax on restaurants’ revenue each month.

 No January or February payments for the restaurant had been recorded as of press time.

Having only been open two months, the Chews knew it was risky to close for two weeks, but they also knew they wanted to increase their efficiency as a business.

For instance, Tina Chew said, customers raved about the food, but said they had to wait too long to be served.

To remedy that, the Chews pared down the menu and moved some food preparation stations to the front counter area.

“All the categories are still there — wraps, salads, pizzas,” Tina Chew said about the streamlined menu, “just fewer items.”

However, they’ve added desserts, such as apple crisp, carob brownies and a dairy-free version of ice cream, as well as organic juices and smoothies.

 With the new menu, prices will be a little higher, they said, but a meal and drink, plus tax, will still cost less than $10.

“This being a new restaurant, we’re looking to duplicate the concept,” GW Chew said, “so we’re hoping to get systems established that will enhance our product, which includes the food itself, the service we provide and our branding of who we are to the community.

“In the restaurant business, as in any business, there’s a lot of things that make the end product successful,” he added. “It doesn’t just take a good recipe to make a good restaurant.”