New York City native opens vegan café in downtown Columbia

City of Columbia officials recently marked the grand opening of a new café downtown during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

More Vegan Café, located at 4622 North Main St., officially opened in March in the North Main corridor.

“One of the things that we crave for in this community and on North Main St. is the ability to get to places quickly,” Dist. 1 Councilwoman Tina N. Herbert said in a news release. “I am excited for this day to celebrate the grand opening of More Vegan Café and the significant benefits they bring to the area.”

Robert Green, owner of More Vegan Café, opened the restaurant in March 2024 with the vision to provide diverse plant-based options to the Columbia and North Main area, the release stated. Green, originally from New York City, has been in the restaurant business for over a decade and was excited to open up this café concept in Columbia.

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“One of the reasons we opened up More Vegan Café was to give people more healthy options,” said Green in the release. “We pride ourselves on teaching people health and feeding people health. We are trying to improve the community and make it a better place to visit, play and socialize with each other.”

More Vegan Café’s menu includes plant-based dishes infused with Italian, Caribbean, American and Asian influences that cater to a wide range of tastes, the release stated. In addition to plant-based options, the menu also consists of raw dishes that are uncooked or heated to preserve enzymes and nutrients. The food is prepared through blending, juicing, dehydrating, and marinating. These foods consist of salads, raw pizza and wraps.