Cardiff's ‘first vegan restaurant' launches £20,000 crowdfund to prevent closure

A £20,000 fundraiser has been launched to save Anna Loka, which is understood to be Cardiff's first 100% vegan restaurant, from closure.

The restaurant opened in 2015 but was taken over by new owners in 2020. It was recently a victim of a theft that led to the loss of a "substantial amount" of takings and valuable equipment, the team said.

Writing on the GoFundMe page, the restaurant team said it had suffered from a "significant" rises in energy bills, ingredient prices and rent, as well as "unexpected legal costs" related to a £10,000 Covid debt, which had been accrued under previous owners.

Anna Loka had been at risk of closure in 2020, prior to the business takeover.

The restaurant team said they hope to use a part of the funds to install air conditioning to improve the summer dining experience for customers.

The crowdfunding page, which launched on GoFundMe yesterday (24 May), said: "We are crowdfunding for our very survival. We have a target of £20,000 for the survival of Anna Loka - the first vegan restaurant in Cardiff.

"Recent vegan restaurants and cafes have closed down permanently. We do not want to be the next one to do so."

It comes after the closure of vegan restaurants Got No Beef in Cardiff and Hypha in Chester, which both took place last September.

Vegan Indian restaurant SpiceBox also closed its final remaining site in London's Walthamstow last month.

To view Anna Loka's crowdfund page, click here.

Image Credit: Anna Loka, GoFundMe