LOS ANGELES – Black-owned vegan grocery retailer Vegan Fine Brands, Inc. has launched an equity crowdfunding raise today that will enable the grocer to bring its one-of-a-kind retail experience across the country through both company and franchisee-run locations.  

The founder and chief executive officer of Vegan Fine Brands, Steven Smith, grew up in underprivileged areas where nutrient dense foods were hard to come by. Smith is trying to change that with the vegan grocery chain.  

"I spent years living in food deserts with little to no accessibility to nutrient dense foods and I see how damaging that can be for underserved communities,” said Smith. 

The flagship Vegan Fine Foods store is in Fort Lauderdale in the Riverwalk entertainment district. The 5,000 square-foot store is 100% vegan and features a wine bar and an adjacent Vegan Fine Body store that stocks natural beauty and grooming products. 

Vegan Fine Brands private labels many products in the store, including Vegan Fine Wines and Vitamins 4 Vegans. Private labeling gives the retailer control of quality and a chance to offer their shoppers unique products that are sold in markets such as Whole Foods and specialty grocers like Erewhon, according to the company.  

StartEngine, a leading equity crowdfunding platform, will lead the campaign to raise funds to expand the retailer’s footprint. StartEngine has helped more than 375 companies raise $250M+ from a community of over 300K prospective investors.