How One Woman Built a Vegetarian Empire in Barcelona
Photo Caption: Gazpacho is a Spanish classic that also fits within Teresa Carles' food philosophy.
Skift Take
Sleek dining for plant-based meals has become relatively the norm in U.S. cities, but the trend is still gaining momentum in Europe where vegetarian food once relegated to hippie establishments is playing a larger role in mainstream dining.
Flax & Kale is one of Barcelona’s trendiest vegetarian restaurants, but the family behind the plant-based brand is committed to the roots of health and building long-lasting a business based on family values.
A pioneer in vegetarian cuisine, Teresa Carles opened her first vegetarian restaurant in rural Catalunya in 1979 sparking an evolution in Spain’s meat-focused dining scene long before cultural acceptance of vegetarianism began shift. And while Carles herself was the first to adapt traditional Catalan cuisine for a more nutritional approach, it was the involvement of her family that’s grown the Teresa Carles empire into what it is today.
Currently clocking in with seven storefronts in and a newly opened research and development center, the Teresa Carles team have tapped into every global restaurant concept including traditional menu-based restaurants, juice shops, fast-casual takeaways and sophisticated dining. They’ve also harnessed the power of social media to land
