Virtuous Pie, a plant-based pizza restaurant, will open its doors in Victoria on Dec. 14. (Photo courtesy of Virtuous Pie)

An award-winning plant-based pizza restaurant opens its doors in Victoria next month and may steal a slice of local pizza and cocktail lovers’ hearts.

Virtuous Pie is opening its first Vancouver Island location– the restaurant chain’s largest yet at over 2,300 square feet.

The popular restaurant has locations in Vancouver, Toronto and Portland, Oregon.

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The food menu will feature plant-based pizzas, ice creams and small plates as well as side dishes and bar food added for late night visitors looking for a few drinks and a bite before a night out. The restaurant is also debuting a communal bar area and a cocktail menu – a new feature unique to the Victoria location. The bar menu will include a selection of local beer, wine, cider and house cocktails including a new take on the shaft.

“As this is our biggest restaurant yet, in a city with such a vibrant craft beer and cocktail scene, it made a lot of sense to add a bar program,” said Jim Vesal, director of culinary and business development with Virtuous Pie.

The bar program will be led by Greg Dickson, an industry veteran from Factory Brewing and Matthew Benevoli, who’s won a number of awards in world cocktail competitions.

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“Their creations will be a mix of old favourites and fresh approaches,” Vesal said.

The restaurant itself has been designed by a team that has been behind a number of Vancouver spaces including the Strathcona Brewery and Juniper Restaurant. Archtitect Bill Uhrich said their inspiration came from the downtown Victoria neighbourhood’s architectural and social history.

The space will have room for 61 seats and a 653 square foot outdoor patio that will open in the spring.

The restaurant is set to open on Dec. 14 at 530 Pandora Ave. To celebrate, Virtuous Pie Victoria will donate 10 per cent of profits from the first week of sales to A Home for Hooves, a Vancouver Island-based animal rescue and sanctuary.

shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com

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