Innovation

Luhv Foods is a vegan food company based in the Philadelphia area. They have introduced an innovative approach to vegan products. These items not only taste good but also help the environment. Through lots of research and development, Luhv Foods has crafted a range of plant-based alternatives that mimic traditional meat and dairy items. Using local and sustainable packaging ensures that their products leave a minimal environmental footprint. The company's innovative solution lies in its commitment to addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), particularly goals two and three.

Luhv Foods donates all their leftover food to the surrounding struggling communities to help promote zero hunger. Their Point Breeze location has an outdoor fridge open to the public. Their innovation helps Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, as it encourages healthier dietary choices that can lead to improved overall health outcomes for consumers. The plant-based products are better tasting and help people live longer and healthier lives. Furthermore, Luhv Foods actively engages with local communities through food pantries to support the goals of zero hunger and good health. Through these efforts, Luhv Foods provides a holistic approach to sustainability and wants a better world.

Luhv Foods Original Logo

Inspiration

After a health scare from a stroke ten years ago, Silvia and her husband embarked on a journey that transformed not just their health but also their careers. Embracing a vegan diet, Silvia's husband began to prepare meals that were not only nourishing but delicious. Their enthusiasm for these wholesome meals quickly spread among friends and family, leading to a burgeoning interest in Silvia’s recipes.

Seeing the potential to make a broader impact, Silvia started crafting and selling homemade vegan burgers, tapping into a community eager for healthier food options. The venture grew from a home-based operation into a thriving business as the couple invested in a factory facility to meet rising demand. Silvia’s dedication and hard work led to their products being stocked in Whole Foods Market, a milestone that fueled further growth. This retail success allowed them to expand their reach through additional store openings and an online business.

Today, Silvia and her family are not only healthier. Still, they are also passionate advocates for veganism, driven by a desire to share the health benefits they have experienced with a broader audience. Their business is a testament to how personal health challenges inspire entrepreneurial solutions promoting sustainability and wellness.

Overall impact

Luhv Foods opened its first location in Hatboro, PA in 2017 after they decided they wanted to help spread the vegansm message across the Philadelphia area and make it a more healthy place. This realization happened after Silvia, one of the owners, suffered a stroke. While recovering, she realized that changing her diet to vegan would not only help her heal faster but also help ensure that another stroke wouldn’t follow.

Her primary goal in opening these locations was not only to ensure that people begin to lead a healthier lifestyle but also that these opportunities are available to those who live in lower-income neighborhoods and may have few options for vegan food. Silvia's restaurant experience helped her know what it takes to last in the industry. Along with being one of the only vegan options in their respective neighborhoods, Silvia also sets her prices relatively low because she wants everyone to have the opportunity to eat vegan. These stores have significantly succeeded, and the community members have rapidly accepted them. Fast forward years later, and she now has 3 locations, the other two being Philadelphia and Point Breeze. Luhv now has the opportunity to expand into a more prominent spot at Reading Terminal Market. This will help spread the Luhv message to a larger audience.

Business benefit

The innovation of the Luhv Foods products has allowed them to expand into three locations in under ten years into the business. The success of selling their veggie burgers in Whole Foods Market has also allowed them to have excellent revenue success. They had the opportunity to expand into a coveted Reading Terminal Market spot with their vegan products and open a location in Point Breeze. They have also begun to have opportunities and early talks with the Philadelphia Airport and Penn Medicine Hospitals. These expansion projects will help spread the Luhv message even more quickly.

Silvia wants each of her stores to be a welcoming place for all. In each store, three doors on the wall show all the doors you are opening with your life when entering and eating Luhv Foods. This also applies to her employees. All employees are treated like family and are passionate about the food they serve, just like Silvia and the Lucci Family. Silvia understands the importance of innovation in her industry and always tries to develop new products to serve at her locations. Many more opportunities and doors are in Luhv Foods' future, which will allow them to have more financial success and spread their story to a larger audience.

Social and environmental benefit

Luhv Foods benefits both society and the environment significantly. It provides society with healthy vegan food, and those who choose to eat it will reap its benefits for a long time. Luhv Foods’ locations have three doors hanging up on the walls. These doors represent the environment, the animals, and personal health. Each of these doors shows how dedicated Luhv is to ensuring its customers' and people's health and well-being worldwide. The intricate artwork outside the door interests customers and opens the doors to allow them to feel inspired.

Eating the vegan food that Luhv produces can help those in society avoid dangerous health issues like heart disease, obesity, cancer, impotence, and diabetes. Those who stick to a vegan diet are also on track to live 6-10 years longer than those who do not. Silvia personally started eating the burgers after experiencing her stroke. That was the first product she began creating for others, and the original item was sold at their locations. While Luhv Foods is great for society, it also impacts the environment. If you choose to follow a vegan lifestyle by eliminating meat and dairy products from your everyday eating habits, you are reducing your carbon footprint by 73%. If everyone chose to eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, that would allow farmland to be used for more environmentally friendly things.

Interview

Silvia Lucci, Owner