In the heart of Hackney, All Nations Vegan House has established itself as a cornerstone of the community, serving Caribbean vegan cuisine since 2017.
“A lot of people are surprised when we say ‘Caribbean vegan’,” explains founder Atreka Cameron, “because Caribbean food is known for a lot of meat products.” Her unique approach to her native cuisine stems from her personal experience: while suffering from illness 17 years ago, she decided to switch to a plant-based diet. “I felt better, had more energy, so I decided to just continue that vegan lifestyle.”
Today, Cameron passes on those plant-based benefits to an enthusiastic and loyal customer base. We sat down with her to find out how Square has helped her family business weather storms, win celebrity fans and achieve remarkable growth.
A family business with heart
As a mum to seven boys, Cameron begins her days at 4am, preparing packed lunches for the younger kids before opening the restaurant at 9am.
“It’s a small family business run by me and my sons,” she said. “What makes us unique is the ingredients I choose to use, and whatever I do, I put my love in it. I’m putting out something healthy, something I would eat and would put on the table for my kids.”
This commitment to quality resonates with customers, creating what Cameron calls “something to write home about” – an experience that goes beyond just flavourful food.
Overcoming challenges big and small
Today, All Nations Vegan House is an institution within the local community. But its success wasn’t always guaranteed: Cameron has faced both major setbacks and mundane frustrations along the way.
Rising from the ashes with the right support
When a devastating fire at their original location left them unable to trade for seven months, the business faced an uncertain future while still having to cover ongoing costs.
“We were at a standstill,” said Cameron. But the community rallied round, encouraging her to keep producing meals from her home, and even scouting out potential new premises for the business. This support gave her the energy to keep going. “I realised I’m not just cooking – I’m serving the community,” she said.
But community spirit wasn’t going to be enough to keep the business going. Cameron needed financial support, and fast. “Square was the one that gave us a loan, and it really helped us through that time,” she explained. She’s continued using Square’s loan service to help with cash flow. “Square takes a small percentage of my daily profit, so that doesn’t put the business under any pressure,” she said.
From system failures to smooth service
Before adopting Square, Cameron struggled with payment terminals that would freeze during busy periods, creating frustration for staff and customers alike.
“I was just fed up of trying different terminals and seeing the same problems,” she said. “They freeze up, or they’re not working properly.” With queues of hungry customers, unreliable payment technology was holding the business back.
Square provided All Nations Vegan House with a dependable point-of-sale system that keeps pace with their busy service. The reporting features in the Dashboard help Cameron track performance and understand customer behaviour. She relies on the close-of-day reports to identify popular dishes, allowing her to plan ahead to meet demand.
Expanding horizons
Since adopting Square, All Nations Vegan House has seen impressive year-on-year growth: at the time of writing, Cameron reports that it’s around 50%, but she expects this to increase. Beyond the numbers, Square has helped Cameron deliver the outstanding experience that makes her restaurant special. When regulars greet her as “Auntie” and celebrities like Little Simz and Michaela Coel show their support, it confirms the special place All Nations Vegan House holds in customers’ hearts.
With the backing of a reliable payment system in place, Cameron feels confident in making plans to expand into alternative revenue streams. These include offering a takeaway service and catering major festivals around the UK. “I’ll never change over to another terminal,” she said. “Square for me is a thumbs up. I can’t fault it, and I can’t praise it enough. I will definitely recommend Square to any business – you won’t lose out, you will only gain.”
