Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


Ethos Vegan Kitchen Table

What is vegan food? A vegan diet excludes all animal products, comprising vegetables, vegetable oils, grains, legumes, nuts, fruits and seeds. Meat, eggs, dairy products, and other animal derivatives are not consumed.

Why do people choose a vegan diet? There are many reasons for choosing a vegan diet, whether for overall health, food allergies, animal rights, environmental reasons, or ethical, religious or spiritual beliefs.
»Why Vegan? - from the Vegan Outreach Group

Do I have to be vegan to eat at Ethos? Certainly not! Diet and nutrition are not a one shoe fits all situation. We believe that choices about diet and nutrition are private decisions that must be determined by each person's own health factors, personal taste, and inclination for cooking. While part of our motivation in opening Ethos is to showcase how delicious and varied a vegan diet can be, we are happy to welcome guests of all nutritional backgrounds!

What does "Ethos" mean? By definition, ethos means "the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution." We chose the name Ethos because it implies the ethical and moral nature of our beliefs about operating a socially responsible business.

Do you accept take-out orders? Yes, we do! You can place a take-out order by calling the restaurant at 407-228-3898. Our friendly staff will be happy to let you know about today's specials. Please note: We do not accept advance orders by phone for guests who wish to dine in - seating is first come, first serve only!

Can I email you to place my order for pickup? No. Because we are a single-store restaurant with a limited staff, we do not have an office person sitting at the computer to see your email come in, and chances are, we won't see your email for several hours, particularly during busy meal periods. So we can serve you best, please place your order by calling the restaurant at 407-228-3898.

Do you deliver? Delivery is not available.

I am very strictly vegan. How can I be sure your definition of "vegan" is the same as mine? Our menu is crafted with ingredients that pass our vegan standard: no meats or derivative byproducts, eggs or egg derivatives (ovo- ingredients), dairy (milk, butter, yogurt, cheese) or dairy derivatives (including whey, casein, and lacto- ingredients), or honey. If you have questions about a particular menu item or ingredient, we invite you to contact us or ask one of our friendly staff members.

Do you use real cheese? No! Our menu is 100% vegan. In an effort to keep our menu descriptions clear and concise, we limited the use of the word "vegan" - so menu descriptions may include words such as cheese, butter, pepperoni, ham, etc. However, when we refer to these ingredients, we are referring to the vegan substitute for this ingredient. If you have questions about a particular menu item or ingredient, we invite you to contact us or ask one of our friendly staff members.

I only have an hour for lunch. Do you think I can eat lunch at Ethos and make it out in time? The length of your dining experience will depend on how busy the kitchen is and what you order. Generally, an hour should be plenty of time. Because most of our food is prepared to order, you can speed your order along by ordering items that are quick to prepare. For instance, it takes us much longer to prepare a pizza than a sandwich. If you are on a short timeline, please ask our friendly staff for help in choosing menu items that will come out of the kitchen quickly. You can also consider sitting at the bar for quicker service, or placing a to-go order and taking your lunch with you.

Do you serve alcohol? Yes, we offer a selection of beer and wine. Did you know that not all alcoholic beverages are vegan? Well, don't worry, we've verified that each of our selections are vegan - free of isinglass, chitosan, albumen, and other animal by-products. Please note: in accordance with local ordinance, BYOB is not acceptable at our restaurant.

Do you accept reservations? No, we are a first-come, first-serve establishment, and reservations are not accepted.

May I bring my small dog (or other pet)? In compliance with the Florida health code, all animals are strictly prohibited inside of our restaurant, regardless of size. The health code makes an exception for service animals and we are happy to accommodate parties with a service animal.

Do you offer gift cards? Yes! Gift cards can be purchased in-store or online.

Can you accommodate my food allergy? As a vegan restaurant, our menu is already free of four of the top eight allergens: milk, eggs, fish and shellfish. It is imperative that you tell us about your allergy when you order so we can help you select an item that meets your requirements. This also allows us to put our kitchen on alert to prepare your food with any necessary modifications and take extra care to prevent cross-contamination. If you have an uncommon, complex, or very severe allergy, you may wish to contact us first to determine if we can accommodate you. Please note that we are not an allergen-free restaurant and it is ultimately up to each guest to determine the best choice given their individual dietary needs.

Why aren't you ... 100% gluten-free, 100% allergen-free, 100% organic, 100% GMO-free, 100% raw, 100% kosher, 100% locally-sourced, 100% farm-to-table...? We opened a restaurant with the intention to serve a 100% vegan menu, and being 100% vegan is where our primary focus remains. Having this focus enables us to fully explore everything vegan without further restrictions, and having clear message improves our chances of success. This decision simply reflects where our passion lies and is not meant to lessen or minimize these other food goals.

Is your menu all organic? No. We estimate that 50% of our ingredients are organic. Although our preference is for locally-grown and organic produce, we have decided not to attempt an exclusively organic menu, as some of our dishes would require organic ingredients that are not consistently available or are not cost effective.

Is your menu gluten-free? No, we are solely focused on being 100% vegan. However, while we don't have much, we do have a few menu items that can be prepared gluten-free. Please tell us that you are gluten intolerant when you place your order so we can be certain to prepare your item with the appropriate substitutions and take extra care to avoid cross contamination.

Is your menu GMO-free? Because we make many of our menu items from scratch, we do not have many opportunities for GMOs to sneak in. We do use some pre-packaged items (most notably our vegan cheese, meat substitutes, tofu, and the like) but because they are vegan, most are produced by health food brands that are independently certified as non-GMO and/or organic: Follow Your Heart, EdenSoy, Silk, Earth Balance, Gardein, Tofurky and Tofutti, to name a few.

However, the FDA does not require disclosure of bioengineered ingredients on food labels, so it is difficult to determine which food products may contain GMO ingredients. As a result we hesitate to say that we are GMO-free.

Do you have nutritional information or calorie counts for your menu? We do not have formal nutritional workups for our menu items. Because we make nearly everything from scratch, it is not as simple as reading the label. For a rough idea, we suggest looking up a similar food item on a nutritional value website such as CalorieCount.com - the figures won't be exact, but the ballpark should be about the same.

Do you offer catering services? No, we do not. Many local catering companies now offer vegan options for catering, we are happy to provide some recommendations if you are having trouble finding one.

Is Ethos a chain or franchise restaurant? No - Ethos is the creation of two regular people, Laina and Kelly Shockley, and is independently owned and operated by the Shockleys. Currently we do not have plans to expand, but, never say never!

Do you have WiFi? Yes! Bring your WiFi enabled device, it's free!

Do you have a question? Please do not hesitate to contact us for an answer!