The Vertical Deli, a new branch of the Vertical Diner, recently opened in June on State Street and 3300 South. Ian Brandt, the founder and owner of the Vertical Deli, has been a part of the plant-based restaurant scene since 1998, but the deli operation is the start of something new. 

“A diner has to be a very specific building, whereas a deli can be in a gas station. So it can be placed anywhere. So there’s not really a lot of limitations on that,” Brandt said.

Brandt has been working with general manager Taylor Duffus to create and expand their business. Duffus explained, “We sell a plant-based diet. We don’t sell a vegan lifestyle.” With an already limited audience, the pair is striving to keep their Vertical Deli doors open to more than just vegans.

Brandt is no stranger to catering to a smaller customer base. After studying hospitality at the University of Utah, he’s well-equipped to deal with the continual societal evolutions that his businesses have gone through in the past 27 years. 

The new Vertical Deli location serving a plant-based diet. (Sienna Chubak/City Journals)

In 2007, with the Diner’s original opening, Brandt began his own manufacturing for the business. He didn’t want to depend on other companies for things like quality control and consistent purchasing, so he got a warehouse and has relied only on his own business ever since. 

“I always think there’s a way to make something work. You just have to figure it out. This is a business that should never have worked. Just doesn’t make sense, and it’s working,” Brandt said.

One thing that Brandt remains true to is never changing what he believes in just to bring in more business. “If half the menu were a vegan menu and half the menu was not, we would probably have 10 times the sales, because our food’s good. It just doesn’t speak for everyone’s demand,” Brandt said. 

He is uninterested in trying to bring in more business by changing his menu to anything other than plant-based. “I guess that’s the benefit that you get from dining with us. You’re at least buying food from a company that truly believes in the mission behind what we’re doing and is not just trying to do it for the money,” Brandt said. 

The new Vertical Deli location serving a plant-based diet. (Sienna Chubak/City Journals)

 Their fully plant-based menu is already extensive, providing as many options, if not more, as any other restaurant would have. From breakfast and lunch to desserts and sides, and even a large number of gluten-free options, the Vertical Deli provides a plethora of delicious dishes for anyone to try.

Brandt isn’t interested in looking for a prime retail location, either, since he trusts his audience will find him. The Vertical Deli location isn’t somewhere with a lot of foot traffic like other ideal restaurant spots downtown; however, Duffus explained that they have a loyal customer base already from the Vertical Diner, and the plant-based community is intimate; the people who want to eat plant-based will find them without a problem. 

Their new location is the first deli of many coming to Utah, and Brandt and Duffus both remain solid in their goal to keep their plant-based business as one that you can depend on to always honor what they believe in.