How restaurants can cater to plant-based customers
“Cooking is an act of love. It’s about nourishing people, both their bodies and their souls. ”
The demand for plant-based dining is on the rise. In 2023, the global market for plant-based foods reached $43.77 billion, and the market is expected to reach $85 billion by 2030, with an annual growth rate of 9.95%. This growth reflects a growing consensus among nutrition and environmental experts that plant-based diets are beneficial for both human and planetary health.
Despite this trend, many restaurants, bars, and coffee shops’ menu offerings have not kept pace to cater to these plant-based eaters. By neglecting this opportunity, they miss out on tapping into and serving a growing market of conscious consumers.
This post aims to help food service staff understand how they can better serve their plant-based customers. Ultimately, it invites dining establishments to rethink conventional approaches in the kitchen, reach more customers, and create an inclusive and satisfying dining experience for all.
Understand customer motives
There are many reasons your customers may opt for a plant-based diet, from personal preference to religious beliefs, and everything in between. The top three reasons include personal health, caring for the environment, and concern for animal welfare.
Personal health: Customers may opt for plant-based diets to improve their health, as plant-based diets are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Some may also choose plant-based options due to allergies to animal-derived foods, such as lactose malabsorption which affects one in three Americans.
Environmental stewardship: Customers may choose a plant-based diet to reduce their ecological footprint, as animal agriculture is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (greater than all transportation emissions combined), deforestation, biodiversity loss, species loss, and water pollution.
Animal welfare: Customers may oppose animal exploitation or the cruelty inherent in factory farms (where 99% of farmed animals are raised in the United States), and opt out of purchasing animal products to avoid contributing to these practices.
No matter the reason, there are many things that you can do to create a better experience for these customers.
Label menu items
A simple way to help your plant-based customers is by adding labels to menu items. Use clear symbols or icons to indicate which options are plant-based. Also specify which menu items can be made plant-based upon request.
Veganize existing menu items
Review your menu for dishes that you can easily modify to be plant-based by substituting animal-based ingredients in a recipe with plant-based alternatives. While this won’t work for all menu items, you may be surprised by the number of recipes that you can tweak without compromising the taste or quality. This is especially true for items that include but don’t feature animal products, like baked goods and sauces. For example, you can substitute oat milk for cow milk, agar agar for gelatin, tamari for fish sauce, and so on.
Not sure where to start? We’re happy to audit your menu and provide suggestions.
Offer customizations
Another option is to assess which menu items you can easily adjust to accommodate your plant-based customers. For example, if you serve burgers, offer the choice to substitute a beef patty for a plant-based patty. Many plant-based items are shelf-stable, making them convenient and cost-effective to stock in your kitchen. Another approach is to have vegan bases for menu items, with the option to add meats, cheeses, or other animal products. This allows all customers to personalize their meals based on their dietary preferences.
Offer plant-based mains
To fully accommodate plant-based customers and make them feel equally welcome at your table, include plant-based options in every section of your menu (not just sides and salads).
Maintain nutritional adequacy
When crafting plant-based menu options, ensure they are as nutritionally balanced as your dishes that include animal products. For example, plant-based main dishes should also feature a high-protein source, such as tofu, lentils, beans, whole grains, nuts, or a plant-based meat alternative.
Commit to fair pricing
Support your plant-based customers by not charging extra for the same, or charging the same for less. For example, don’t charge more for plant milk if it costs you the same as cow milk. Or if a customer removes meat or cheese from a dish, consider reducing the price accordingly.
Solicit feedback
Finally, check in with your local plant-based community from time to time. Ask what they think of your menu offerings and how you can make it better for them. After all, cooking is an act of love.
In summary
Rethinking conventional approaches in the kitchen can help you reach more customers and create an inclusive dining experience for all. Win-win.
