More Life Cafe, a vegan restaurant on the West Side of Jersey City located at 191 Mallory Avenue posted a sad message on its Instagram page – unfortunately, the restaurant is closing shop. Read on to learn more about the cafe closing.
Owner Marcell Portes, who came to Jersey City from the Dominican Republic as a child, opened More Life Cafe in 2018. After switching to a vegan diet in 2014 after linking migraines and ailments stomach he felt with the food he had consumed.
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Marcell’s mother also owns a restaurant in Jersey City specializing in Dominican cuisine called El Sol Del Caribe (Note: not vegan).
More Life Cafe had a laid back vibe, with Caribbean colors painted throughout. It was buffet style and most of the food consisted of plant based items and vegan ‘junk food’ like vegan empanadas and mozzarella sticks – a big hit. Some of the dishes on the menu included mixed green salads, potato salad, Waldorf salad, falafel, macaroni and cheese, black beans, rice, mashed sweet potato and different stews as well as daily specials and specialties like the popular BBQ Jackfruit Sliders and the Spicy Chick “N” Burger.
marcel said hoboken girl at the time of its opening, “I truly believe that inner-city youth are the most susceptible to misleading advertising and social programming.”
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On January 10, a post on the restaurant’s Instagram read, “Thank you to everyone who has supported, helped and guided me. I cannot thank you enough for the support I have received. He continued, “We will no longer be opening our doors to 191. Sorry to anyone waiting for us to return.”
For more inspiration on which vegan dishes to try next, check out our list of vegan restaurants in Jersey City here.
Written by: Victoria Marie Moyeno
Victoria is HG’s associate editor and social media coordinator for the Hoboken Historical Museum + Fire Department Museum. She is also a board member of the LUPE Fund, a non-profit organization created by Latinas for Latinas. Victoria is a fourth generation hailing from Hoboken, BNR in Mile Square and Jersey City. Playing softball in town for fourteen years, playing trumpet for the Hoboken High School Redwings Band, and graduating from New Jersey City University, these two towns hold a special place in his heart. When she’s not a styling assistant or a volunteer at the Symposia bookstore, she explores all that the concrete jungle has to offer. You can see her at art shows, trying new restaurants, traveling, diving into a new book, saving money, or indulging in some form of arts and crafts.
