By Brian Garrido
In 2021, Chicagoans Kadeesha and Antoine Wiggins opened Burgeezy, a vegan burger spot at Indy’s Kitchen, a shared commercial kitchen space on College Avenue. After several months of promoting their non-meat burgers and fixings on social media – Kadeesha is the force behind that – and creating a loyal following, they moved to the Melon Kitchens restaurant accelerator in the AMP at 16 Tech. Soon the duo will open a stand-alone restaurant along the Canal Walk in downtown Indy. Kadeesha filled us in on the Burgeezy back story.
What made you want to open Burgeezy?
The main thing was the availability of vegan options in Indianapolis. My husband and I had traveled to Denver and were amazed by the variety. After experiencing that, we realized that Indianapolis lacked many options and was an open market. That’s what ultimately inspired us to step into the vegan food scene.
What is your favorite type of food and why?
I would say I enjoy comfort food, specifically burgers, loaded fries and pizza. They are my favorites because they remind me of the foods I grew up eating. The challenge was recreating these dishes in plant-based and vegan form, but I have mastered it now. So, without a doubt, comfort food is my go-to.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My husband, Antoine, has always inspired me, even when we were meat eaters. He spent time cooking and testing, showing great skill in the kitchen. He would experiment with recipes, spices and other vegan delights, and his passion rubbed off on me. We became vegan in 2018 primarily for health reasons. After trying a few plant-based and vegan options, we didn’t feel as heavy or sleepy after consuming them. Over time, we started feeling so good that we didn’t want to return to eating meat. It all stems from the incredible improvement in how we felt after making that dietary shift.
What items are always in your fridge at home
I recommend almond milk and Burgeezy sauce! We always have asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and some salad mix. We have some plant-based ground, whether Impossible ground or Beyond ground, and then some vegan ice cream is always in the freezer.
If you could choose a favorite place in Indiana to visit, where would that be and what would you eat?
I’ve heard about Loving Café, a Chinese-like vegan restaurant in Fort Wayne. We haven’t been yet, but I look forward to going.
