Meet Folami Geter: owner and chef of A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to the brick-and-mortar store, she also runs the Peace of Soul vegan food truck.
Raised as a vegetarian, Geter has never tasted a single bite of meat.
“Veganism is second nature for me, and I’ve never been curious enough to want to taste animal flesh,” she said. “I actually love animals and wouldn’t dream of eating them. The health benefits are icing on the cake.”
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A Peace of Soul began as Lamb’s Bread Vegan Cafe in 2005, a cafe owned by her father.
“My father opened the first 100% vegan café here in South Carolina,” said Geter. “This concept was pretty much nonexistent in the South except for Soul Vegetarian in Atlanta. I purchased the restaurant in 2014 and sought to make it representative of my vision. I revamped the menu, rebranded it with a new name, and renovated the space.”
A true foodie, Folami loves all types of cuisine.
“I literally plan trips just to visit vegan restaurants and I truly enjoy the challenge of “veganizing” popular dishes and allowing people to see that food can be just as delicious without meat.”
She adds that a customer favorite at Peace of Soul is the crispy fried ‘chicken’ sandwich.
“We’ve heard it gives a particular fast-food restaurant’s chicken sandwich a run for its money. Our ‘chicken’ and waffles with fresh strawberry maple syrup are life-changing, and our BBQ ‘spareribs’ with collard greens and mac and ‘cheese’ are our most ordered lunch special. I intend to keep introducing exciting new menu items, and we’ll be getting back on the road in our food truck very soon.”
Although A Peace of Soul is typically open Monday-Saturday, occasionally, the restaurant opens on Sundays to accommodate their customers who cannot make it during the week.
“Sometimes we do something called Special–Super Sandwich Sunday. Customarily we offer one sandwich option each day, but on some Sundays, we’ll offer three of our sandwich options with fries, Our Philly ‘cheesesteak,’ Western ‘bacon cheeseburger,’ and chili ‘cheese dogs’ are usually the winners,” she stated.
As for desserts, customer favorites include A Piece of Soul’s oatmeal creme pies, lemon pound cake, carrot cake, and sweet potato pie. Geter says the restaurant will also soon serve banana pudding.
For now, the dining room at A Peace of Soul is closed for dining in, and the restaurant is offering contactless carry-out only. Customers can place orders at apeaceofsoul.com.
A Peace of Soul also offer meal prep services.
“We usually include a savory soup, a pasta dish, veggie sides only, and a protein and sides option. Our customers love being able to grab our food from their fridges. Especially during the height of the pandemic when a lot of families ordered so that they wouldn’t have to leave home so often,” Geter.
Geter is currently teaching the family business to her 19-year-old son, who has decided to learn the ropes on a more official level.
“Of course, he’s been raised vegan as well. He’s always helped out with the food truck, so it’s been a natural progression to step it up and do more. Fingers crossed that he’ll one day take the reins and decide to let me retire at some point.”
She says she is thankful for everyone who has helped and continues to help make A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen a success.
“In addition to my son, I have an amazing team of staff and loving family and friends surrounding me. My nieces are my sous chefs, and my brother is the front-end manager. I couldn’t ask for better people to spend my days with and to entrust my dream with. I simply couldn’t do it without them. Also, the community support and love I receive are unmatched. I’m so grateful to get up every day and do what I love,” said Geter.
Follow A Peace of Soul at @peaceofsoulsc.
