Lovin' Spoonfuls blowin' up

"I've been working diligently on franchise paperwork," she says. "It'll probably take a couple of months, and then I'll have a franchise packet available."

Raigslid, who has been a vegan for 20 years, says hers will be the first nationwide vegan restaurant chain.

Others have tried. Heather Mills, the former Mrs. Paul McCartney, talked about opening a vegan chain in 2007, but her funding ran out.

"It's a very extensive project," Raigslid says. "Every aspect of the business has to be detailed and documented, right down to how much pepper you sprinkle on the potatoes."

Running a vegan restaurant isn't easy.

Raigslid, who opened Lovin' Spoonfuls in 2005 at 2990 N. Campbell Ave., near East Glenn Street, says it's hard making everyone happy.

"When people find out you're a vegan restaurant, they immediately expect you to be able to accommodate every diet under the sun," she says. "I get people coming in who want wheat-free, gluten-free, salt-free, fat-free, sugar-free. I do accommodate them if I can, but I don't think a normal restaurant has that challenge to face."

People who give up meat for health reasons often desire organic produce.

"I do organic to the extent possible," says Raigslid, who creates all the recipes. "Most of the breads, flour and sugar are organic. But produce is really a challenge, because we have to have it delivered every day."

Then there's the restaurant's menu, which includes faux-meat items like a "bacon cheeseburger" and "fried chicken." Those items are repulsive to some vegetarians who think mock meat advances the notion that a meal is incomplete without animal flesh on the plate.

"They challenge me about the mock meats," Raigslid says. "Why do you have that here? I get a lot of pressure from that angle."

But for the most part, Raigslid says, people are happy a place like Lovin' Spoonfuls exists.

"There are people who do it strictly for ethical reasons and they're delighted that they can get a bacon cheeseburger. They love it. They tell all their friends that you can be a vegan and still get all this stuff."

More menus making room for veggies

Tucson has at least two vegan restaurants and a handful of veggie-centric eateries. But even some meat-heavy joints are getting wise to changing diets.

New Downtown staple Burger City serves a sautéed vegetable sandwich, and you can get a veggie dog at Baja Dogs, a cart at the corner of North Fourth Avenue and East Seventh Street that's open late on weekend nights.

The Cellar Bistro in the UA Student Union is devoted to vegetarian fare and locally produced food.

"We've got spring-mix Thai cucumber salad and grilled portabella mushroom sandwiches, as well as grass-fed, hormone-free beef and Arizona farm-raised trout and shrimp," says Nick Adamakis, a spokesman for the Student Union.

Meanwhile, some longtime faves among vegetarians are still drawing crowds:

The Garland Bistro, 119 E. Speedway, specializes in vegetarian and ethnic cuisine. Try the British breakfast: two eggs any style, with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and green chile served on an English muffin and covered in Mornay sauce ($8.75). Almost anything on the lunch menu can be made with tofu instead of meat, and the vegetable chowder and mashed potatoes are vegan.

Blue Willow, 2616 N. Campbell Ave., serves breakfast all day and has a relaxing, shaded patio. Vegetarian entrees include the spinach and mushroom crèpes ($9.50) and the sesame-ginger-soy stir fry ($9). And don't forget the sliced apple salad ($8.95).

Govinda's Natural Foods Buffet , 711 E. Blacklidge Drive, changes its menu daily, but the food is always meat-free.

Tuesday nights are Indian-focused with offerings such as curries, dal, poories and chutney.

At Sunday brunch, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., you'll find pancakes, home fries, scrambled tofu and fruit salad.

Nothing is discarded at Govinda's, according to owner Sharon Cooksey.

"We freeze our leftovers and take them to Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St., along with some fresh meals. We go down there a couple times a month and serve it ourselves."

The rest goes to the peacocks, macaws, exotic chickens and parrots that live on the restaurant's property.

Govinda's will not offer its regular menu on Friday but will instead mark Ram Fest, an event that celebrates Ram Navami, a Hindu holiday. The fest includes an Indian dance troupe, fire dancers, music, a kid's play area, a traditional temple program with chanting and a free vegetarian feast.