Think buttery, fluffy, and flavorful stacks of pancakes on an early weekend morning — but make it vegan. That’s exactly what chef Nikki Ford, also known as Chef Nikki in The Mix, is doing at Vegan House of Pancakes (VHOP). On the corner of Cleveland Avenue in East Point sits a bubble-gum pink house where home-cooked comfort food meets plant-based breakfast for everyone.
When Ford adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2016, she had no idea it would lead to entrepreneurship. A stay-at-home mom of two girls, flipping pancakes and whipping up breakfast, began in the comfort of her kitchen. It wasn’t until her partner, who goes by PBD Grey, encouraged her to sell what he called “the best pancakes I’ve ever had,” that the idea of more began to flourish. Ford was skeptical about people wanting to buy a pancake mix, but Grey knew that breakfast lovers would be in the market for another way to make the breakfast staple with ease. The duo soon got the ball rolling with a tentative game plan. Grey designed the logo, and Ford created enough mix for just 100 bags. In March 2020, the pancake mix named Nikki’s Fat A** Cakes went live on Ford’s website, and she old out in less than 25 minutes.
Over the years, that light bulb idea continued to shine and build into pop-ups around Atlanta. When Grey came across a house and commercial kitchen for lease in East Point one day in October of 2024, the mention of a possible restaurant named Vegan House of Pancakes became reality. Through fundraising and support from the community and vegan celebrities such as Tabitha Brown, VHOP became East Point’s go-to for vegan breakfast four months later.
“I wasn’t trying to create healthy pancakes. I was just creating a vegan pancake that felt like home, and everybody enjoyed it, vegan or not. They don’t say, ‘Oh, these are vegan.’ They’re like, ‘These are the best pancakes,’” Ford said. “That’s how I created it, and he pushed me to sell it, and here we are, five years later. I definitely wouldn’t be doing it without Grey, because I didn’t want to do it. But, he saw the vision, so I’ve just been riding it, trusting him, and it’s been working.”
The team is small, comprised of just Ford, Grey, and Ford’s culinary partner chef, Chelsea. As of now, the restaurant is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., making their total operating day less than 60. But the labor of love has been made even sweeter by family and plant-based ingredients. Together, they’ve been able to navigate the obstacles and unfamiliarity of running a business, but have shone in their community-driven approach. So much so that people often sit in the parking lot as early as 9 a.m. to be first in line when they open at 10 a.m.
“It feels good. I knew that we had a good product. When I tasted those pancakes, I knew I wasn’t gonna be the only one to love them, but the fact that other people got to experience it, and just how it caught on and the support we got, it was a little bit of a surprise,” Grey said.
“That’s the part that’s still shocking to me,” Ford added. “That people actually get up early enough to come sit in the parking lot to be here when we open. They really want it. The people come faithfully. When names pop up on the screen, I’m starting to know the people.”
The pancakes are stacked high and smothered in toppings such as blueberry compote, chocolate chips, strawberries, peaches, and cream. Customers can order the pancakes from a side window behind the house with sides such as jalapeno grits — a chef Chelsea specialty— tofu scramble, cheesy potato casserole, and vegan sausage. Ford’s mix is also sold in-house for purchase.
Ford and Grey said they’re excited to see the restaurant’s growth, from more locations and operating days to opening a small diner, but they are focused on maintaining the quality of the food and service.
“We’re weekends only, but we’re building the foundation. The process is to be able to scale. And when we do, we don’t want to compromise on the food or the customer service,” Grey said. “We absolutely see this as an across-the-US type of thing. In the short term, we want to open up more days. That’s the next goal: to go from two days to possibly six days a week. And then, different states, different locations.”
But amid those plans, prioritizing their two daughters is also a big focus for them as they continue to navigate the demands of the restaurant industry.
“I homeschool my kids, and it was really important for me not to miss out on them. And it was like, why be an entrepreneur if you feel like you’re working a nine-to-five every day or longer and you don’t see your kids,” Ford said. “From what I hear, I know the restaurant world can be like that. So, this is just working out for our family.”
The duo said they hope that VHOP can become a staple for vegans and non-vegans alike. When people eat their food, they want them to walk away feeling like they ate good food.
“Be excited to eat it because it’s delicious. And if you like delicious food, you would like Vegan House of Pancakes. That’s what I wanted people to feel. And when the reviews were coming in, people were saying, ‘These are the best pancakes I’ve had,’ Or ‘I don’t even eat tofu. This tofu is so good.’ That’s what I want you to feel like,” Ford said. “You don’t have to be vegan for 20 years; you can be vegan on the weekend and come eat with us.”
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