When I treat myself to a meal at a restaurant, it’s often hard to fiend vegan-friendly options on the menu. Not so at Tucson’s Lovin’ Spoonfuls. Owner Peggy Raisglid opened the vegan restaurant in September of 2005 as a way of promoting veganism by showing that vegan meals can be both exciting and delicious. The restaurant has a wide range of choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the best thing on the menu (in my opinion) is the dessert case. Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ banana cream pies and coconut cream pies are good enough to turn even the most ardent meat eater vegan.

You might not think that eating out is not the best way the stretch your food dollar (and it isn’t), but I thought that Peggy would be a good person to ask about the economics of veganism. So when I treated myself to a special lunch last week, I decided to ask her some questions about her views on food budgeting and the vegan lifestyle. (Because hey . . . it never hurts to use a nice meal as a business expense.)

1. Do you feel that there are any economic benefits to adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle?
Oh, absolutely. The most expensive part of the meal is typically the meat or the cheese. Veganism completely eliminates those costs. But the economic benefits go far beyond your personal budget. The planet as a whole benefits because veganism substantially reduces the consumption of resources that is endemic of the meat industry. It’s environmentally friendly, which ends up being good for the economy, too.

2. Many restaurants are going out of business right now due to the rising cost of food. How is Lovin’ Spoonfuls fairing in the current economy?
We’ve seen very little impact because we cater to a niche market. We had a nice write up in the January 2009 issue of Arizona Highways, and that’s actually helped boost our business.

3. Based on foot traffic to your restaurant, would you say that veganism is increasing in popularity?
Yes, I would. When I personally became vegan 20 years ago, no one had even heard the word vegan. Nowadays, maybe people aren’t there yet but they at least know what the word means. I was living in LA when I first became a vegan, and I had to drive several towns away just to buy soy milk. I almost had cried the first time I found soy milk at the regular grocery store. It’s not a specialty item anymore, it’s part of the mainstream consciousness.

4. What’s your favorite thing on the Lovin’ Spoonfuls menu?
When the restaurant first opened, I used to have the Route 66 Bacon Cheeseburger for lunch every day. For dinner, I would have the Linguini with ‘œMeat’ Balls. I’ve been eating here every day for three years, three meals a day and there’s enough variety on the menu that I never get tired of it.

5. How big a part have you played in developing the recipes?
These are all my recipes that I’ve been developing for 20 years. I have a PhD in chemistry. And I came to the conclusion that the best way to promote veganism was to show people that they could make tasty meals that didn’t have any meat by cooking for them. The most gratifying thing about owning my own restaurant is when I have customers come in and tell me, ‘œmy boyfriend became a vegan because he ate here,’ or ‘œI was able to become a vegan because of your restaurant.’ That’s what it’s all about for me.

If you’re in Tucson, be sure to check out Lovin’ Spoonfuls at the southwest corner of Campbell and Blacklidge. They have a laid-back yet sophisticated atmosphere, and there’s usually at least one or two cute lesbians there on any given day. For my money it doesn’t get any better than the BBQ ‘œChicken’ Sandwich with Carrot Salad for a side. It’s messy and delicious and everything you expect a BBQ sandwich to be.

For more information about Peggy’s story, check out this video.