V-Grits vegan restaurant to close in Louisville after a decade

After a decade in business, a well-known Louisville vegan restaurant will soon be no more.

V-Grits, which got a big boost from a 2014 appearance on Food Network, will shut down in December, owner Kristina Addington announced via Instagram earlier this week.

In a video post on the restaurant's social media profile, which has nearly 14,000 followers, Addington appeared on screen for over a minute and said her eatery inside Logan Street Market has been "struggling," along with other small businesses.

“Although it’s been an incredible journey, I think a decade in is a good time to bow out," she said.

Addington talked fondly of opening V-Grits several years ago, when vegan options were hard to find in Louisville. After winning Food Network's "Cutthroat Kitchen" competition show, Addington pulled the prize money together with a crowd-sourcing campaign to open a food truck serving vegan comfort food. A 3,500-square-foot brick-and-mortar location at 1025 Barret Ave. followed four years later, sharing a space with Chimera Brewing Company. Awry Brewing has since opened there.

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"So many of you said to me it felt like coming home," Addington said of that location on Barret Avenue. "I'm full of gratitude to have been able to create that community."

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V-Grits then moved into a stall at Logan Street Market in Shelby Park.

Before closing there on Dec. 15, V-Grits plans to host a "throwback night" on Nov. 13, offering favorite menu items from the past. That includes a fried oyster mushroom vegan chicken dish, a crab cake po boy made with jackfruit, loaded macaroni and cheese, and fried Brussels sprouts. Addington also announced that V-Grits will have a Thanksgiving menu available to order.

Plus, V-Grits will participate in Vegan Week at Logan Street Market, set for Nov. 12-17.

Near the end of her video, Addington encouraged followers to stay tuned, as she readies to share details about a "new project."

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock [email protected].