Wheeling family hope to promote healthy eating with vegan cafe

A story in some editions of the Daily Herald on Wednesday incorrectly stated the status of Shtram's Deli in Wheeling. The deli relocated to 411 E. Dundee Road.

Wheeling resident Irina Kuznetsova spent days trying to fight her way out of postpartum depression six years ago.

She won that battle in her kitchen with a newfound passion for cooking and a healthy lifestyle.

Now, Kuznetsova and her husband, Karim Raimbekov, are turning that passion into a business with the Purple Sprout Cafe, a vegan restaurant set to open in mid-August at Riverside Plaza in Wheeling.

The cafe will offer organic meals made with ingredients from local farmers, but no sugar or preservatives. It also will feature a smoothie and juice bar.

Kuznetsova, 36, knows the time it takes to prepare meals from scratch isn't always accessible for busy suburbanites who want to eat healthier. After seeing others get sick from unhealthy eating, she was inspired to provide healthier options for her and her two children.

"Cooking became a lifesaver for me and the whole family actually," she said. "We started to cook more and more, and invite friends, family and co-workers to share recipes and dishes."

After receiving positive responses, the family began to offer dishes a year ago at a farmers market in Arlington Heights.

Before opening, the family is working to remodel the restaurant space at 341 E. Dundee Road, which formerly housed Shtram's Deli until it relocated to a different suite in Riverside Plaza in October 2014.

"Our 6-year-old has been helping us in the kitchen since he was 3," Kuznetsova said. "He really loves it and he's helping us with the remodeling too in any way he can."

Once opened, the restaurant will offer dine-in and carryout options, as well as a weekly meal plan, in which customers can come in twice a week to pick up several days of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kuznetsova said this can help customers stick to a healthy lifestyle when they are too busy to spend time preparing meals.

Kuznetsova said the cafe also will host workshops and seminars, along with cooking demonstrations once a month. She hopes to partner with various organizations, such as kids entertainment venues, to provide whole food pizza and sugar-free cupcakes or nonprofit, and wellness organizations to provide meals for cancer patients.

The family has lived in Wheeling since 2005 and wanted to open in the Northwest suburbs because the area lacks the dining choices they'll offer.

"Frankly, this area really needs some healthier eating options," she said. "This trend is very popular and widely growing."