We recently connected with Sue Davis and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sue thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
We all say we love animals, but many eat their bodies on a daily basis. My mission is to give people a choice to choose compassion, to change minds about how you can eat healthy, affordable and delicious food that does not contribute to animal cruelty.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve always loved to cook, and I’ve always been an animal lover. In 1991 at the age of 21 I became aware of how many products were unnecessarily tested on animals. That lead me on a path to veganism, and from then on I have tried to do the least amount of harm in my daily life. I feel we are all connected on this planet. We all feel pain, suffering and long for love, friendship and family. Animals are not excluded in these feelings.
As I learned more about animal suffering I also learned about the environmental impact of animal agriculture, big and small, and about the health issues that arise from the standard American diet. I felt like I had to do something more than spread the word, I had to help people make more compassionate decisions in their everyday life.
After working in restaurants in Los Angeles I moved back to Austin TX where I thought I could make the most impact. I opened Counter Culture as a food trailer in 2009, then moved to a brick and mortar in 2012. We made it through the pandemic and just celebrated out 10 year anniversary in our building. The next step is to buy a building so Counter Culture will have a permanent home in this crazy real estate market. I am looking in an underserved community where there isn’t a lot of healthy eating options.
We make our food from scratch, from our mayo and ketchup to all of our cheezes, seitan (wheat meat) and cashew date sweetened cheezecakes. We don’t use a deep fryer and always offer oil free and raw dishes. Our food is comfort food that won’t leave you feeling bloated.
My goal is simple- make the world a better place. It’s not about money or recognition. What makes me happy is feeding people & helping animals.
Our customers are very diverse but the one thing they have in common is that they are all wonderful people. We feel very lucky to have made friends with many of them along the years.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
At the age of 35 I left a career in the photography field and entered the word of food. I had little restaurant experience so I started as a dishwasher, I wanted to start at the bottom and work my way up. 1 year later I was lead line cook. While doing this I hosted weekly dinner parties at my house with a different 4-course menu every week. it was a boot camp for cooking with direct feedback. I also made weekly meals for a small group of people that let me experience bulk cooking and menu planning. Doing this I learn how to problem solve, source ingredients and cook seasonly with local produce. It also gave me the confidence to go out on my own and open a food trailer.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Think locally. We give back as much as we can to local charities and organizations. We donate food to the needy, participate in fundraisers and create a community atmosphere in the restaurant itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: countercultureaustin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/countercultureaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/counterculturerestaurant/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/counter-culture-austin
- Other: Happy Cow- https://www.happycow.net/reviews/counter-culture-austin-18120