Tarik “Chef Reeky” Ryant opens a second restaurant as he also pursues real estate development. He credits Temple for building the foundation of his business skills.
Chef Reeky stands outside Cheezy Vegan in South Philadelphia, where he now operates one of his two restaurants after rebuilding his life through entrepreneurship.
Photo by Matt Petrillo
On a corner block in South Philadelphia, a new coffeehouse and vegan eatery is turning heads with its bright interior, fresh-pressed juices and unique culinary options.
“I wanted to open up Cheezy Vegan as a neighborhood cafe, where people could start their day with a coffee, come by for lunch and buy our bottled juice drinks for on the go,” said owner Tarik “Chef Reeky” Ryant, FOX ’12.
Outside, flags representing Philadelphia’s sports teams flap over the entrance.
“I grew up just around the corner from here,” Ryant said. “South Philadelphia is home to me, and I designed Cheezy Vegan to feel more like a gathering spot than a quick stop.”
Ryant, a 2012 graduate of Temple University's Fox School of Business, opened Cheezy Vegan this summer, making it the latest business in a growing portfolio that also includes real estate development and wholesale food production.
“Temple’s motto is perseverance conquers, and my career journey is an example of that,” Ryant explained.
His path towards entrepreneurship has not been without challenges. In 1998, Ryant served time in prison. He began working in the prison’s kitchen as a line cook, which he said was the only job he could get at the time. It became more than that.
“Cooking lowered my stress. Concentrating on something I liked and really had a passion for helped me get through a rough time,” Ryant said.
After Ryant’s release, he earned a culinary degree, and for years, he honed his skills in the kitchens of various restaurants. However, Ryant had greater ambitions: He wanted to run his own restaurant.
In 2008, he enrolled in Temple’s Fox School of Business and began building the foundation for a career as an entrepreneur.
“A lot of the core skills that I learned in the classroom, from financial management to income statementsand even negotiation, I still use to this day to run my businesses,” Ryant said. “Whether I’m working out a lease, structuring a deal or building relationships with partners, I am always using my business training.”
After graduating with a degree in business, he pursued his first business venture, opening Chef Reeky’sCafe and Juice Bar in Delaware County.
Growing up, his family affectionately called him “Reeky.” After becoming a chef, he embraced the nickname, incorporating it into his brand and becoming known as “Chef Reeky.”
This summer, he opened the doors to Cheezy Vegan located at the corner of 17th and Manton Streets in Philadelphia. He said that the cafe offers neighbors a menu built around both coffee and plant-based comfort food.
“Everything we have in here is vegan, from the coffee to the lattes and the sandwiches,” he said.
For instance, he said the flagship sandwich, called the McReeky, comes with savory vegan sausage and seasoned tofu that’s spiced with cumin and coriander. It also has melted vegan cheese and is stacked inside an English muffin.
He has also set his sights on retail expansion for some of Cheezy Vegan’s items, with plans to get his house-made salsa onto grocery store shelves in the coming months.
And while Ryant faced challenges earlier in his life, he also recognizes he was shown grace along the way.In 2020, Ryant was pardoned by former Governor Tom Wolf, meaning he no longer has a criminal record.
“Being pardoned meant everything to me. It meant I no longer had to check the box on applications. When I did that, I would automatically get shut down. So this opened many doors for me,” Ryant said.
Ryant also continues to work on himself. Just last year, he returned to Temple, this time to earn his real estate certification.
“I became a licensed realtor because I love developing properties and renovating homes,” he said. “My goal is to invest back into my hometown and help create quality homes where my neighbors can thrive.”
He said broadening his professional portfolio continues to motivate him.
“My advice to anybody in college who has an entrepreneurial spirit is never quit and don’t stop learning,” he said.