Lowdown Vegan, a late-night plant-based drive-thru, has closed

Late at night, after Froth Coffee Roasters closed for the day, the cafe's drive-thru window was busy. Lowdown Vegan took over the space during the evening to serve plant-based food to night owls. But now, after nine months, the concept has shut down.

Owners and partners Theron Evans and Jai Jones launched the concept inspired by their own challenges with finding good vegan food at night.

Why are the options "limited and boring?" Evans asked. “Why is vegan food so expensive? Why do we have to wait 30 minutes for our order?”

So he and Jones set out to fix the problem.

“We want to be known as a place where you can roll up and get vegan food in under five minutes and keep going,” Evans told Phoenix New Times in March.

The drive-thru menu included mock "chick'n" patties made into sandwiches with barbecue sauce and caramelized onions; vegan parmesan, mozzarella and marinara; and Jamaican Jerk made with Scotch bonnet vegan mayo. Other dishes included plant-based versions of tuna pasta salad and mac and cheese. Desserts hinted at the pop-up's coffee shop location, and included banana bread, brownies and a peanut butter bar.

In March, the couple said they hoped to find their own building and had plans to expand.

On Monday, they posted a closing announcement to the concept's social media accounts.

"We have decided to temporarily suspend our operations. The challenges of our current space is too great for us to move forward," the post read, going on to explain that this closure has "nothing to do with Froth Coffee," and that they love Froth.

The post gave fans of the food hope, however.

"We will pop open for events as they present themselves," it reads, in part. "We're looking forward to opening again in the near future."