Shari Peltier has heard all the myths and stereotypes about veganism and vegan food. When asked to recount some of them, she settles back in the vinyl-upholstered booth of Thrive Vegan Diner, her new Pittsfield restaurant. “It’s tasteless. It doesn’t contain enough nutrition or protein,” she says, ticking off each point on her fingers. “It’s expensive. It isn’t filling. It’s just for hippies or animal-rights activists.”

Peltier is exploding these myths and more with Thrive, which took over the 1935 box diner previously occupied by Adrien’s on Waconah Street. It’s been open for about a month, but already Thrive has more than 1,000 followers on social media and has made a believer out of some die-hard meat eaters, who thought it wasn’t possible to have a satisfying meal made up of plant-based foods.

An MBA with a variety of front- and back-of-house restaurant experience, Peltier made her first foray into running her own business—a maternity-clothing manufacturer and seller—when her two daughters were children. After the kids were grown, Peltier knew she wanted to try a new venture, but was at a loss for a great idea. While at a dinner, a vegan friend asked, “Why doesn’t anyone open a vegan restaurant around here?” Peltier put the concept into motion soon after.

Peltier originally identified Lenox as a prime location for her restaurant, but found the rents to be prohibitive. So she turned her attention to for-sale properties, some of which would have scared off investors with weaker stomachs. “I walk into a place that other people think is too much work, but I think, ‘Oh, what I could do with this place,” Peltier explains.

That’s how she ended up buying Adrien’s Diner, which, even prior to going vacant in 2015, was sorely in need of updates. She spent eight months rehabbing the building, from bringing it up to modern electrical and fire codes to installing a new hood in the kitchen and creating a wheelchair-accessible ordering station. She also redesigned the interior, to give it a lighter, brighter, more cheerful aesthetic, complete with bright turquoise walls, folksy cow paintings, and shiny copper pendant lamps dangling overhead.

Peltier was very open about sharing some of her struggles to convince local building inspectors and contractors of the worthiness of her concept on Facebook, a warts-and-all approach that earned her dozens of fans. She also gained an ally in Pittsfield mayor Linda Tyer, who came for a site visit and a review of Peltier’s renovations and business plans.

Thrive Vegan Diner opened in January, and the response from customers—many of them vegan or those with food sensitivities—was instantaneous and overwhelming. “People have been crazy about the idea,” she says. Not only has she caught the attention of locals, but groups from the Pioneer Valley and Albany, excited to have a new vegan restaurant in the region, have also planned outings at Thrive.

So far, Thrive’s gender mix is about equal, with most diners averaging 35 and up. While some are animal-rights or environmental advocates, most are trying a vegan diet simply as a way to eat healthier and maintain their weight. Others have food sensitivities and are delighted to have an option for eating out that isn’t limited to salad and pasta.

Thrive Vegan Diner does have those meat-free stalwarts on the menu, including a no-dairy mac and cheese and pasta with marinara sauce and “mockballs,” but focuses on giving traditional diner foods a vegan, and more healthful, twist. These include the burger, updated here with Beyond Burger patty (which received a lot of press late last year for its much-ballyhooed grilled meat–like flavor and “rare” pink interior, courtesy of beet juice), served on a pretzel bun with tomato, onion, and lettuce. There are also dishes featuring other meat replacers, such as vegan sausage, chicken wings, and bacon, often served alongside fries or spicy potatoes.

And what would a diner be without soda? Thrive boasts several housemade versions, from pomegranate to grapefruit, all made with no-sugar, fermented syrups imported from Italy.

Some of the most popular choices are the Buddha bowls, 24-ounce portions of stick-to-your-ribs roasted vegetables like sweet and white potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, and onions, topped with a tangy kale slaw and shredded carrots and beets, and drizzled with one of six flavor-packed house-made dressings. Peltier couldn’t be more thrilled that the bowls are a hit. “People who haven’t eaten vegan food think it’s just a bunch of vegetables,” she says. “They don’t understand the variety that can be created.”

She also focuses on addressing food allergies, offering a variety of nut- and gluten-free dishes, and plainly labeling any that contain those ingredients. “Thrive Vegan Diner is an inclusive experience for people who don’t often get to go out for meals,” Peltier says. “I want them to feel like they could come back day after day and still find something new and interesting to try.”

This article first appeared in Berkshire HomeStyle magazine.