Aaliyah Rivera isn’t characterizing her restaurant Wild Alchemy as vegan, or plant-based, or any specific labels. Rather, she’s taking a “food as medicine” approach as the new owner of the cafe in Wallingford. 

“I always want people to know that being healthy doesn't mean sacrifice,” she said. “I think that making healthy choices in your food doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice flavor and a good meal. Healthy is fun, it’s colorful, it’s good for you.”

The young entrepreneur was a manager at the cafe before buying it from founder Colleen Morgan last fall, taking the leap into ownership at just 20 years old. Morgan praised her in a Facebook post announcing the transition in November.

“Aaliyah joined us fresh out of high school, just finishing a military training program, when she decided to dive headfirst into the magical world of Wild Alchemy,” she wrote. “Her strength, dedication, and eagerness to learn quickly made her an integral part of our team, and eventually, the one I trusted most to carry our legacy forward.”