Good Karma Cafe Chef Departs for Cross-Country Trip

A year and a half ago, Brett Aylward helped open Good Karma Cafe on Lincoln Street in Exeter. The vegan restaurant has thrived since that time, but Aylward recently left to pursue other ventures.

Aylward, who handled the cooking, said he had "irreconcilable differences" with partner Ed Doris about the direction the cafe was going and decided to part ways. 

"We were honored helping people at the cafe and we were sad to leave," he said. "It made us realize that we can do that on a much larger scale. This will be a great launch for that!"

After getting engaged to girlfriend Ali Mogren, who also worked at Good Karma, the couple decided it would be the perfect time to get out and see the whole country. As they travel the U.S. in their 1988 Jayco camper, they'll be collecting recipes from every vegan establishment they visit to create a unique vegan cookbook.

"Of course, being vegan, we are already planning on stopping at as many vegan friendly establishments in our path," Aylward said. "What better way to share our trip with people and make it meaningful than to write a unique cookbook out of it? With the love of traveling and food joining forces it was a no brainer for us."

The couple has started a Kickstarter campaign, hoping to generate funds to help fund their trip and their book. As of Wednesday, $737 had been raised.

They've been traveling for over a month so far, and have already been through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. They have visited more than 26 cafes and restaurants in all, including those located in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

A full list of the restaurants they've visited so far can be found on their Kickstarter page. You can also follow Aylward and Mogren on Facebook for more frequent updates.