Three young girls in Tallahassee embody the term ‘brilliant’ as they successfully serve plant-based meals at their recently opened eatery.
Located inside the Breezeway Market at Railroad Square, Leo sisters Lyrica, Zaira and Nadira offer baked goods, fresh juices, herbal teas, and on Saturdays — African and Caribbean inspired dishes at Bourne Brilliant.
Originally “Baking Ballerinas,” the girls of Bourne Brilliant started their business in 2013 with a name inspired by their former hobby. Lyrica and Zaira continued to share that the name “did not fit them anymore” and sought out a different title.
“We kept searching on Google, and my mom and I saw the word bourne — and it meant your destination,” Lyrica said. “Our name means we want to be great and that’s where our journey is supposed to lead.”
Northwest Florida VegFest co-organizer Natt Elsamara described their food as “on another level” in her recent Instagram post.
In Tallahassee, the vegan food scene has a variety of options, like The Bark and Sweet Pea Cafe. However, the popular Black-owned spot Soul Veg recently closed its doors permanently due to COVID-19. Bourne Brilliant now joins Hemplade Vegan Cafe as one of the two Black-owned vegan eateries in town.
“With our community, we figured that people weren’t eating as healthy, so we wanted to find a healthier alternative for our community, and we realized there wasn’t enough affordable, plant-based food — so we decided to switch to that menu, since our mom started her plant based journey over 20 years ago,” Lyrica and Zaira said.
After their featured article on the vegan news publication VegNews and the Tallahassee Democrat, the family has been overwhelmed with support and their meals sell out every weekend.
Their rotating menu is available on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and includes vegan barbecue drumsticks, mac and cheese, jollof, tabbouleh and more. The aforementioned meals are priced as followed: one protein with one starch and one vegetable for $10, two proteins with one starch and one vegetable for $14, or one protein with two starches and two vegetables for $12.
Along with the exclusive Saturday menu, Bourne Brilliant also offers dehydrated Irish sea moss, fresh pressed juices and baked goods.
“I really like the brownies and our red velvet cookies. Those are my two favorite items. My favorite juice is the tropical flavor, and we’ve come out with a lot of new flavors,” Zaira and Nadira said.
You can find Bourne Brilliant’s Instagram page here and visit them at Railroad Square to purchase the highly favored baked goods.