Devil’s Lettuce marks four years with a ‘Taco Hell’ party

Customers lined up before noon on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Devil’s Lettuce, a vegan restaurant at 9050 West Broad Street, to celebrate its fourth anniversary with its popular Taco Hell event, a plant-based riff on Taco Bell favorites.

Mashed named it the best vegan restaurant in Virginia in a state-by-state roundup published in March, based on reviews from Yelp and HappyCow and recommendations on Reddit.

The restaurant’s regular menu centers on vegan comfort food, including build-your-own burgers, loaded bowls and wraps, along with takes on diner classics like hearty salads, meatloaf, and cheese fries.

Owner and chef Janice Rossano has worked in the restaurant industry for 24 years and knows how hard it is for an independent restaurant, especially a vegan one, to survive.

In fact, about 17% of restaurants close within their first year, and roughly half are gone within five, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Rising costs are a major stressor for many restaurants. In its 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry report, the National Restaurant Association found that more than 90% of operators call food, labor, insurance and energy costs significant challenges. Food prices are more than a third higher than before the pandemic.

“Four years is huge for us,” she said. “We wouldn’t be here without our regulars. They’re the backbone of our business and fiercely loyal.”

Some customers come several times a week, she shared, “and it’s so lovely to feel that we’ve been able to create an environment that people actually want to visit multiple times per week.”

Lauren Z. Ray, founder of Vegan Club RVA, a social club that organizes community meet-ups, said fully vegan restaurants like Devil’s Lettuce make plant-based eating “more accessible, approachable, and fun.”

The restaurant’s role has grown beyond food, Rossano said, as she described watching friendships begin, first dates and class reunions unfold in the dining room, along with gatherings for birthdays and more.

Nostalgia on the menu

The Taco Hell menu comes from Rossano’s own history with the chain. Taco Bell was a frequent road-trip stop in her childhood, she said, and she still remembers her oldest brother talking her into her first cinnamon twist.

She also sees a gap the restaurant can fill. Taco Bell is widely regarded as one of the more vegan-friendly fast-food chains, Rossano said, but it offers no meat or cheese substitutes, so vegans “still can’t really access that full Taco Bell experience.”

The event menu included the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Cinnamon Twists. She said the choices are “purely selfish,” driven by her old favorites.

Her menu decisions are also based on what the kitchen can handle.

“I absolutely love the Mexican pizza, but my broiler is tiny, so, while I’ve tried to make it work in the past, I reluctantly made the executive decision to 86 that item,” she said.

A changing vegan scene

When Devil’s Lettuce opened, Rossano said, most customers were vegan or vegetarian, and fewer fully vegan restaurants existed in the area. As vegan food has become more mainstream, she’s noticed a positive change for her business.

“Non-veg folks are a little less apprehensive to try a vegan restaurant, which is such a cool shift,” she said. Rossano has also noticed more non-vegan restaurants offering vegan dishes beyond salads.

Ray agreed that since she moved to Richmond more than three years ago, she’s seen more restaurants embrace plant-based options and more people become curious about vegan food.

“Through Vegan Club RVA, I’ve also seen firsthand how much people want to connect over good food,” she said.

She also noted there’s something special about places like Devil’s Lettuce, knowing “you can order absolutely anything on the menu.”

'A good dupe'

Brittney Scott, who has been vegan for 22 years, said she tries to attend every Taco Hell event and was one of the first lined up on Saturday. The cheesy gordita crunch is a favorite whenever it appears as a special, she said, and she likes supporting local, all-vegan restaurants.

“It’s like comfort food, and it’s a good dupe,” she said.

Autumn Langhum, who describes herself as vegetarian and “veganish” since she’s lactose intolerant, said she came for the birthday and for the special menu. The crunchwraps are a favorite for her as well, she said she prefers them to the original.

“I think it just tastes really good,” she said.

That customer feedback helps drive Rossano. Lasting four years, Rossano said, takes “patience, dedication, and a willingness to prioritize the business above all else.”

“Sometimes, it randomly hits me that this is it,” she said. “This is my goal. I am legitimately living my dream.”