Vegan food just might be poised to become the next top trend in restaurants.

Conducted by the Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants group, the annual “Culinary & Cocktails Trend Forecast” made a boldly fascinating prediction in regard to the surging popularity of vegan dishes.

According to their forecast, 80 chefs agreed that not only will vegan continue to become a stronger trend throughout 2018, but that it could even be the top trend impacting restaurants for the entire year! (To read more about this really interesting study, have a look over at Foodable.)

Personally, I believe it. I would hardly consider myself a vegan-minded eater, but I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t noticed the shift taking place – even in restaurants I’ve long frequented. If I had a dollar for the amount of restaurants I’ve been to in the past year that had an option to substitute in a veggie burger… Well, I’d probably have at least enough money to buy one of them.

The question remains, how will your restaurant capitalize off of this impossible-to-ignore trend?

 

Understand what veganism is

Vegetarian. Vegan. What’s the difference? What even is a vegan? Why would someone choose to be a vegan?

While vegetarians won’t eat meat, poultry, or seafood, vegans go a bit further. The crucial difference between vegetarians and vegans is that vegans strive to remove any sort of animal byproduct from their diet. That means that even if something isn’t actually meat, it could still come from an animal. Eggs, dairy, and honey are common examples.

As far as why someone would choose to be a vegan – well, it’ll vary from person to person. Some choose to do it because of the value they place on the well-being of animals. Others do it for the environment. And of course, there are the ones that choose veganism for health purposes.

Having an understanding of these factors, and implementing them into your restaurant’s dishes, values, and more can go a long way with vegans.

 

What alternatives can accommodate vegans?

Now that you understand vegans, how can you start offering easy alternatives?

Accommodating vegans doesn’t have to be difficult. Your restaurant doesn’t have to be a “vegan restaurant.” Start by being vegan-friendly. Like I said earlier, substituting a veggie burger is a popular (and easy) option. But what else can you add to your menu? Here’s a quick list of examples.

  • Beyond the veggie burger, there’s a wide variety of meat substitutes that are available for nearly any meat you can imagine – including everything from bacon, to turkey, to even meatloaf.
  • Additionally, portobello mushrooms are a popular burger substitute.
  • Marinara (cheese-free) pizza. Here’s how you can make one, courtesy of KeepRecipes.
  • Substituting tofu for eggs works when making omelettes or quiche, but what about baking? Here’s a list of seven egg substitutes for baking over at PlenteousVeg.
  • Popular toppings/ingredients include nuts, seeds, hummus, avocado, quinoa, beans, and many more.

 

Market With CoGoBuzz

Once you’ve gotten on board with vegan food, get the most out of your investment with CoGoBuzz. Our state-of-the-art digital marketing service will automatically promote your new vegan-friendly options using advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions. We’ll promote your menu, deals, specials, and events – all directly to your customers’ mobile devices.

On top of that, CoGoBuzz creates fully realized customer profile for every single customer that logs into your HotSpot, cluing you into their interests and how you can better serve them – whether they’re craving vegan food or something else entirely! Check out the rest of our website to learn more!

Has your restaurant tried introducing vegan-friendly options? Let us know in the comments!