Described as a "one-stop vegan and vegetarian store for all", Vegan Garage is the brainchild of friends and business partners Dev Patel, MIT Patel and Dhaval Thakkar.

After touring Tasmania, the trio discovered that while the state had an emerging vegan culture, there was a general sense of confusion in the community about where to find vegan-friendly products.

So they came up with the solution themselves - with Vegan Garage opening just before Christmas due to "extreme demand", according to Dev Patel.

"We were going to open in January, but we had people asking so we decided we'd open just before Christmas which has paid off," Mr Patel said.

"We'd been all around Tasmania, and for us we found it hard to find vegetarian and vegan products, so that thought and problem came to us wanting something for everyone because there's so many people that are like us.

"Now you can come here and we've got everything on offer, from nuts to protein, meat replacements and all your beauty and healthcare items."

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Vegan Garage stocks a range of popular brands - including beauty brand Ethique and protein brand Botanika Blends.

Mr Patel said he wants the business to be a safe place for people to try new things - including the vegan diet if that's something they're interested in.

"We understand that being vegan isn't for everyone, but sometimes people don't understand that it is easy and does still taste good," he said.

"Just have one vegan meal in a week, you don't have to be 100 per cent vegan, you'll find sufficient products in here and you can try it, for the animals or just for yourself - you might find that you really like it.

"We've also got keto products and paleo-friendly items for people to make it easier as well."

Vegan Garage also hosts a cafe - with a variety of diet-friendly milks including soy, almond and oat, as well as vegan treats including raw slices and acai bowls.

The cafe is an open format - and Mr Patel hopes to foster a sense of community in the area.

"Where I'm originally from, Sydney, there are a lot of open cafes where you can come and sit down with a coffee and just read a book for a while, and I haven't really found somewhere here where that's possible," he said.

"We want to encourage people to come in, grab a coffee and something to eat and stay a while - we've got books you can read, we have a television where we can show movies or tv shows and it's a space where you can have thoughtful discussions or just quiet time if that's what you're wanting.

"Sometimes people feel low in the mornings and on the weekends and don't have anyone to talk with them, so we want to this to be somewhere where people can come in and talk to anyone."

Vegan Garage prides itself on its coffee offering.

"Launceston, Hobart, they're known for their coffee culture here in Tasmania," Mr Patel said.

"We have Industry Beans which is a really good coffee blend from Melbourne, we bring it from there because it's the best coffee, and it's vegan coffee which goes really well with the plant based milk we are offering.

"They've got a good aroma, good texture, and in future if we get good response we'd like to open a roastery as well."

An important part of the business is giving back - with Vegan Garage committing a percentage of their profits to animal welfare charities and sanctuaries.

"I personally love animals, especially dogs and cats, so that's why we decided to help them as well," Mr Patel said.

"Part of our profit share, we're going to give it to those animal sanctuaries, so it can be a win-win situation for all, that's the culture we want to create here."

With the business open for just a week, the trio have big plans for the future.

"We've had really good feedback, everyone's saying that we've done a good job because it is hard to find a lot of these products," he said.

"We've got some plans for future expansion, more in the cafeteria and food products, we want to bring products in from across the world.

"We're asking our customers what they're looking for, and if it's something we don't carry we want to get it in - we want to help them and gain their trust."

Vegan Garage is open at Shop 2, 2 Trotters Lane, Prospect from 7am to 7pm weekdays and 9am to 6pm on public holidays.

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