Getting to the meat of the matter! Are vegetarian consumers being accommodated?

Do you enjoy a healthy serving of vegetables with your meal? Most of us do but there are others that not only enjoy vegetables as a side dish, they make it their main course.

In local restaurants however, many of the food items on the menu are skewed towards those who are meat lovers. Often the only choices vegetarians have when they go out to eat is a salad, ground provisions or to eat from the desert menu items.

Why should restaurants try harder to accommodate their vegetarian customers?

Increased Sales

The benefits to restaurants of having good vegan options are many. High-quality vegan food is a great solution for caterers because it appeals to just about everyone – it’s tasty, healthy, ethical and planet-friendly.

Therefore having good vegan options on the menu will broaden the customer base and means the restaurant is automatically ready to cater for practically any customer who comes through the door. That appeal will translate into flexibility and an increased profit margin.

There might be also be customers, who although not strictly vegetarians, would be willing to try vegetarian dishes, They might have been encouraged for health reasons to eat a diet that includes more vegetables or simply curious of trying something new. In any case the restaurants will see their profits increase with added options on the menu.

Innovation

By providing a vegan menu, restaurants also show innovation and forward thinking. That is very attractive to customers who are always on the look out for new spots to eat or try their delivery options.

These restaurants are trend setters and soon their popularity will grow as word of mouth travels that there is a restaurant with a varied range of options.

More Group Bookings

Whenever we go out to eat with a group or whenever we are able again to have parties, we would want to make sure that wherever we go has something for everybody to eat. This means that if there’s a vegan in the group, you’ll probably ignore restaurants that don’t offer vegan dishes.

Therefore having a variety of vegan dishes will increase the chances of winning those large group bookings and ensures you’re not losing more than just the vegans.

Appealing Vegetarian Options

When you are adding menu options, ensure that you do not simply add varieties of the same kinds of vegetarian dishes. No one just wants bland salads as their only choice.

Take just a little more time to research and brainstorm what dishes you want to add to your menu. The options at your disposal really are limitless – from vegan macaroni and cheese and black bean veggie burgers, to vegan lentil soup and even delicious vegan ice cream. Your customers will thank you!

It is also a good idea to train your staff so that they can answer questions about the ingredients in the vegan dishes without having to check with the kitchen.

So what is your take? Do you think enough accommodations are made for vegan customers? Sound off below!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: menu options, restaurant, vegetarian