Hugh Jackmans Laughing Man Coffee Just Opened a Vegan Café in NYC

hugh jackman’s laughing man cafe has opened an all-vegan cafe in new york city called laughing v. Located on Duane Street in the Tribe Center neighborhood, the cafe offers a variety of homemade vegan sandwiches, treats, pantry items and more.

laughing v is the product of successful vegan outreach by chef lauren evans, vegan and lifelong tribeca resident. Evans has long made a point of asking local tribal restaurants to add vegan options. She’s also a frequent customer of the Laughing Man coffee brand, which was founded by actor Hugh Jackman along with David and Barry Steingard in 2011. When he pushed the Steingards for more vegan options, Evans tells VegNews they were very responsive and asked him to send them some vegan suggestions.

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Laughing V/Instagram

evans did much more than that, developing a signature restaurant-ready menu of vegan appetizers, entrees, desserts and more that deeply impressed the founders of Laugh Man, and Laugh V was born. That intricate menu proved too ambitious for the small space available for Laughter V, which now operates right next to the cafeteria, so Evans selected a more practical menu of vegan sandwiches and baked goods.

the vegan menu of laughter v

Armed with little more than a panini press, Evans is now delighting customers with her tofu caprese sandwiches, philly cheese steaks, spicy sweet potato sandwiches and (her favorite) pistachio pesto portobello mushroom wraps. the chef also bakes her own vegan palmiers, linzer biscuits and whole wheat focaccia.

laughing v brings vegan food to tribeca

For a block surrounded by downtown skyscrapers (including the nearby Freedom Tower), this short stretch of Duane Street has a unique small-town feel, with a small park in the middle of the street. it’s a bucolic block, but the area has never been particularly vegan-friendly. Until recent decades, the buildings surrounding Laughter V housed businesses selling dairy products, eggs, and whale bones. vegan food options have always been incredibly scarce.

Matt Marshall

but, the outdoor seats of laughter v are now packed with locals from the tribe enjoying vegan sandwiches and pastries. the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Just a few days after opening, Laughter V sold out all of its signature sandwiches within a few hours, so Evans had to dramatically increase its food prep to keep up with demand.

One of Laugh V’s first clients was attorney Peter Nussbaum, who has lived on Duane Street for decades with his wife Gabrielle. Both are dedicated vegans who founded the Tamerlaine Sanctuary to rescue animals from the food industry. “When I moved here 25 years ago, the egg and butter trucks were parked on this block every night,” Nussbaum told VegNews. “we were beyond excited to find out that an ethical vegan neighbor had opened an all vegan cafe. I have tried all the sandwiches on the menu and they are all amazing.”

Matt Marshall

the future of laughing v

evans is developing new menu items, including a coconut curry dish with “many more exciting dishes to come.” the ambitious signature menu she originally crafted may resurface for pop-up dinners in the much larger space of the laughing man next door. Fortunately, Laughing Man co-founders David and Barry Steingard have been incredibly supportive of the company (their first vegan company).

As a true vegan enthusiast, Evans, who “went vegan for the animals and fell in love with food,” plans to continue veganizing her neighborhood one meal at a time. food is her form of activism that always comes back to one thing. “I care about animals,” Evans said. “That’s what motivates me.”

for more on vegan food in nyc read:new york’s golden krust debuts vegan beyond meat jamaican patties nyc’s best restaurant eleven madison park is based on plants20 new york wineries are getting vegan coolers and deli menus