Wisconsins only exclusively vegan restaurant is moving to Baraboo.

The Cheeze Factory Restaurant will relocate to downtown Baraboo after its current building lease in Wisconsin Dells expires Labor Day weekend. Restaurant leaders hope to have the new location at 618 Oak St. up and running by Thanksgiving.

The popular vegan eatery serves a variety of plant-based, non-GMO dishes. It was founded 25 years ago as a vegetarian restaurant by members of the Course in Miracles Academy.

The Academy is a spiritual group based in Wisconsin Dells that studies religious scriptures from around the world, with a primary focus on the Bibles New Testament and A Course in Miracles. Cheeze Factory staff is made up of former and current Academy members.

Jubilee Dominic-Charles, an Academy teacher and publicist for the Cheeze Factory, said the spiritual group opened the restaurant in a former Wisconsin Dells cheese factory as a way to get involved with the community. Academy members were practicing vegetarians at the time, so they opted to create a menu without meats, she said.

It was quite an anomaly, and a lot of people didnt think that we would last, said Sage-Louise, a founder and head chef at the Cheeze Factory.

The restaurant defied early expectations and became a premier vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Americans dairyland. The establishment remained vegetarian until 2013, when Cheeze Factory leaders ramped up efforts to minimize animal suffering by transitioning to a completely plant-based menu.

Even though we werent supporting the killing of animals, we were supporting the torture of animals, Sage-Louise said. Chickens that are raised for their eggs and cows that are raised for their milk are treated even more cruelly than animals that are slaughtered for meat.

Sage-Louise said she wasnt always a vegan, and worked in several five-star restaurants in New York before she made her way to Wisconsin Dells. She said the experience provided her with a unique perspective on creating dishes with limited ingredients.

What I know is that, unless it tastes good, nobodys going to want to eat it, regardless of what it is, she said. If it tastes delicious, people are going to eat it regardless of what it is.

To meet her standards, Sage-Louise said all Cheeze Factory ingredients must be entirely plant-based, and taste really, really good. Everything else on the menu is subject to change when she finds inspiration.

Sage-Louise said Cheeze Factory leaders explored several venues throughout the area before deciding on Baraboo. She said the restaurant will sacrifice about 8,000 square feet moving from its spacious location in the Dells to the 2,000 square-foot venue downtown. While the reduced space will create challenges, Sage-Louise said the restaurant is ready to make the change, and eventually will transition to a 100 percent organic menu once the new location opens.

Follow Jake Prinsen on Twitter @prinsenjake

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Wisconsin Dells vegan restaurant relocating to downtown Baraboo - WiscNews