"I love Detroit, but I hate the food options down there," LaCombe said. "More people should be able to eat vegan and be able to afford it."

Build-out of the 1,350-square-foot space — once home to Le Petit Dejeuner breakfast cafe — has not yet started, he said. LaCombe expects to invest around $200,000 for the project.

Kenneth Crutcher Studio Inc. is the architect and the contractor has not yet been finalized.

For LaCombe, a 47-year-old veteran of automotive design, opening a restaurant is a return to what he always thought he was meant to do. At the age of 6, he spent hours in the kitchen with his grandmas, one Italian and one German, building his culinary bedrock.

"That was my go-to place," he said. "When things weren't going right, I cooked."

LaCombe, his wife and his daughter became vegan about four years ago. Since then he has made it a mission to make every tasty dish available despite the dietary lifestyle.

"If I (crave) a food, I make it," he said. "I'm going to have things people aren't going to believe can be veganized."

Coney dogs, beat loaf and stuffed cabbage will definitely be on the menu, he said, but the list of dishes is still in the works. The restaurant will start with lunch and dinner, then possibly incorporate brunch on the weekends. Projected price range for entrees is $8-$13. LaCombe hopes to open with about 10 employees.

Opening his first restaurant has LaCombe admittedly scared beyond belief. But the fear keeps him motivated, he said, and he's hoping the fear of new food won't hold customers back.

"There has to be a transition from ribs and beef to kale and tofu sandwiches for someone that's interested in vegan but afraid that it's not good," LaCombe said, confident that Chili Mustard Onions could be the answer.