The demand for vegan-friendly menus has skyrocketed in the past decade and continues to surge. As more people adopt plant-based diets for health, ethical, and environmental reasons, restaurants must adapt to consumer demand.
Attract a wider range of diners or become a completely vegan business. Use these tips to make your restaurant more vegan-friendly.
1. Switch to Plant-Based, Non-Dairy Ingredients
You can offer plant-based milk options, such as soy, oat, almond, and coconut milk, for customers to use as alternatives in coffee, tea, and other beverages.
Use vegan butter substitutes when cooking and baking. Also, replace dairy cheese with vegan cheese made from nuts, soy, or vegetable oils.
This will make your menu more vegan-friendly.
Replace meat and dairy ingredients to make vegan-friendly dishes, but don’t forget to taste-test to see if you need to tweak recipes further.
The ingredient change may require you to make some additional alterations.
Beware of “Hidden” Animal-Derived Ingredients
Be mindful of animal-derived ingredients, like gelatin, certain food colorings, and honey. Train kitchen staff to read labels and use vegan substitutes when necessary.
2. Provide Vegan-Friendly Protein
Ample protein options can make your restaurant more appealing to vegans and other diners as well.
Too often, restaurants hoping to capitalize on the vegan trend add a few vegetable-only dishes.
But protein is filling, and you have various options to diversify your menu.
Plant-based protein sources include legumes, quinoa, tempeh, tofu, and seitan. You can use these ingredients in diverse dishes, such as salads, curries, wraps, and bowls.
3. Offer Fresh Juice
Another tip for making your restaurant more vegan-friendly is to offer fresh juice. Fresh juice from fruits and vegetables is delicious, refreshing, healthy, and picture-perfect for social media posts.
Consider creating your juice menu based on seasonal ingredients.
Seasonal menus keep your customers excited about the drinks, help you make a quality product every time, and control food costs.
Remember that you can use juicers to make things besides juice, such as nut butter and veggie burgers.
Wellness Drinks
If you want to appeal to health-conscious consumers, consider crafting wellness drinks that contain a thoughtful blend of nutritious ingredients.
Functional juices support the body’s functions, such as immune system health. Experiment with recipes to create unique drinks that customers will love and return for.
4. Improve Your Menu Design
Advertise vegan menu items to keep customers informed of your offerings. Highlight vegan items on the menu and have an accurate ingredient list of every item in your dishes.
Doing this builds customer trust and emphasizes your commitment to plant-based dining.
Highlighting seasonal and local produce on the menu can also attract vegan customers and other people interested in locally sourced food.
Showcasing seasonal dishes appeals to eco-conscious diners.
Consider partnering with local farmers and suppliers to support the local economy and improve ingredient sourcing.
Transform your restaurant by using or offering plant-based dairy replacements, plant-based protein, and fresh juice.
Redesign your menu to communicate your business’s values and draw attention to key offerings and ingredients.
These actions will attract customers and differentiate your business from others in the industry.