IE Vegan Pt. 2: Viva La Vegan Grocery Store

Buccaneer (3 Musketeer) & RazDillo (Zinger)

I will be the very first to say that I: #1 enjoy sweets, junk food, and most things fried and that #2 I went vegan for the animals and how I feel about the killing of animals, factory farming, and the dairy industry.
That being said, I still strive to eat better. However, after  7 years of veganism and 6 years of vegetarianism before that, I will be the first to admit to his own ruts, comforts, and concessions. In those 13 years I have developed a love for Ginger ( a nice, but acquired taste for a treat that can have more than just a snack advantage) and staples such as Kale/Seaweed snacks. Ive always been a very big fruit person, and I love most vegetable, even if I prefer some of them to have pepper and salt on them.


In the pursuit of both the conscious vegan and the snacking vegan I draw your

attention to Viva La Vegan Grocery in Rancho, California. While the Inland Empire has 3 Clarks Nutrition Locations that carry a ton of veggie/vegan options and a wealth of organic produce as well as Oasis/La Sierra Market which is all veggie/vegan, "Viva" as it is often referred to, is ALL VEGAN.

Viva La Vegan came to be late in 2010 through the hard work of quite a few people. It is the first all vegan store in the Inland Empire and just so happens to be situated rather close to two all vegan restaurant, Bright Star Thai Vegan (Thai food along with some american standards like fries, chicken nuggets, and a chicken burger), and the formerly Veggie Era, now a Loving Hut. It also must be noted that it is a mere 2 blocks from record nerd outpost, Dr. Strange Records. Viva continues to grow into it's space, which is connected to a Discount Store that is owned and operated under the same management.

As Viva has grown in its short life, it has gone from a few racks of things to more and more racks of food, clothing, toiletries, shoes, produce, freezers, cosmetics, and more. It continues to expand, with discount racks usually 3 racks full (no doubt a benefit to its parent association with a Discount Store), and look for more ways to reach into the local community as well as the vegan/veggie community. They have also taken to having monthly potlucks and other events which allow it be almost a gathering place as well as a store.

Viva La Vegan has astonishingly fair and even cheap prices, in part due to its resources, but more so, due to the stores willingness to work with distributors and try to provide the best to their customers. From working with companies like Baby Cakes and local Pizza shop Cheezy Pizza to provide their products in the store, to simply keeping prices to a bare minimum, the customer is truly the winner here.

Make sure you check it out if you're in the area or from the area; and if you know a veggie or vegan in the area or coming to the area, let them know. The store is still very new and the support means the world.

Viva La Vegan - Facebook
9456 Roberds St, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701
Phone : (909) 941-4495
Store Hours: Mon - Sun:10:00 am-7:00 pm