October 12, 2022
Here’s Why Black-Owned FoodChasers’ Kitchen Is Lizzo and Pepsi Approved
For Lizzo, a show in Philly was no excuse to ignore her vegan diet. Luckily, the twin masterminds behind FoodChasers’ Kitchen were up for the challenge and understood the assignment.
The Grammy award-winning singer-rapper geared up for a show at the Wells Fargo Center when she and her family were introduced to owners and identical twin sisters, Kala and Maya Johnstone, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Once music producer Andrew “Pop” Wansel made a call on Lizzo’s behalf, the momentous occasion began with a dining room filled with Lizzo and her family playing Uno and indulging in a full plant-based menu specially catered to the artist’s needs.
Lizzo, who has maintained a vegan diet since 2020, was ecstatic. Chef Naren Gosine spent her day off curating options that would not be typically found on the FoodChasers’ menu of meat, egg, and cheese-loving breakfast and lunch options.
The Johnstones, who are also retired Philadelphia school principals and authors, have since decided to offer some of Lizzo’s curated plates on October 13 and 14, the Inquirer reported. These include fried mushroom tacos with avocado and a fruit Pico de Gallo, cheesy grits topped with seasoned mushrooms, meatball grinder with Portobello meatballs and an herb tomato sauce smothered with vegan cheese, mushroom ravioli with roasted grape tomatoes in a vegan butter herb sauce, and a cheesesteak made of herb mushrooms with vegan cheese and mayo.
Located in Elkins Parks, Pennsylvania, FoodChasers’ Kitchen had been a longtime dream for the Johnstone sisters. The journey began with an Instagram account where the twins posted food inspiration from their travels all around the world. After sharing photos of their own homemade dishes, people started requesting their catering services. FoodChasers’ Kitchen was born less than a year ago.
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Since then, FoodChasers’ Kitchen has been booked and busy. The business duo were invited to Las Vegas weeks ago as part of Pepsi Dig In, an initiative designed to drive access, business acceleration, and awareness for Black-owned restaurants. The opportunity came with Pepsi’s first ever Restaurant Royalty Residency program, and FoodChasers’ Kitchen will have a four-week residency at several restaurants at the Luxor and Mandalay Bay Casinos.