When restaurants add vegan menu items & labels, everyone wins.
In this post I detail why it’s in a restaurant’s best interests to denote on their menus what is already vegan or what can be prepared that way.
David and I regularly get together with our friends, Ashley and Adam.
Ashley is mostly vegetarian. Adam is not.
They were talking recently about a new restaurant in town, where they were checking out the menu. The menu was foodie-central with a who's who of animal parts.
After perusing the menu in the restaurant's window and noting there wasn't a single plant-based item on offer, they made room for the person behind them who was also scoping out the place.
Ashley said to Adam, "Well, I guess we'll go to the restaurant down the road where they have vegetarian options."
The other guest chimed in, "Yep, that's where I'm going too. I'm also vegetarian."
With that, the three of them headed on their way.
The new restaurant lost 3 diners that day: 2 vegetarians and 1 non-vegetarian.
Maybe they would have been able to make a plant-based dish.
However, since the restaurant didn't list a single option on their menu, the group continued on.
Could Ashley and Adam have called the restaurant or asked to speak to the chef?
Sure.
Could they have cobbled together a vegetarian option out of the ingredients on hand?
Perhaps.
But sometimes a person wants to take the course of least resistance and go where ordering is easy.
A restaurant's menu is like the title of a book or article. It may be the only thing a person reads.
In this post:
Restaurants are obviously not obligated to appeal to every demographic, preference, and dietary choice.
However, Ashley and Adam's story made me think about why it's in a restaurant's interests to add vegan labels on the menu for dishes that are veganizable.
And they are even better served by putting at least one interesting vegan option on the menu.
Here’s why…
Vegans have a trickle up effect
Whether it's a married couple, friends gathering for dinner, or a large family get together, in all relationships people try to find common ground at mealtimes.
David isn't a fan of gravy, barbecue, or sauerkraut. I love all of those foods. But when I'm making dinner for the two of us, I keep those off the menu or add them to my own individual plate after we dish up.
Similarly, when we're getting together with non-vegan friends at a restaurant, I don’t recommend a steakhouse, where David and I are unlikely to find anything interesting.
Instead, I'll suggest the local pizza place, a couple of Indian restaurants, the Mediterranean place…
That way I know we'll all be satisfied.
Can I find a vegan option almost anywhere?
Sure.
But if I'm going out to a relaxing dinner with friends, I prefer my choice to be pleasurable instead of perfunctory.
Not every meal has to be the be-all and end-all of meals (and sometimes you end up at Chili's on your nephew's birthday).
But all things totaled, it's more fun to dine somewhere that everyone can be happy. Instead of eating where some people have full, sustaining meals and others have an awkward discussion followed by a dinner of steamed broccoli.
What's a restaurateur to do?
If a restaurant knows that it can offer vegan meals, it makes sense to add them to the menu.
Seeing vegan labels on the menu makes vegetarians and vegans feel like the restaurant wants our business. It also simplifies ordering.
"I'll have the roasted red pepper and hummus sandwich, please" is a lot easier to say than, "I noticed you have hummus, roasted red peppers, romaine lettuce, and bread. Could you put them all together for me?"
Vegan labels help the server
On busy nights, it's a lot easier to order the clearly labeled vegan option.
That way the server doesn't have to relay a bunch of substitutions when time is an imperative.
By having "vegan" on the menu, it makes an obvious go-to.
Labeling solidifies the weakest link
When I dine at a restaurant, I'm at the mercy of the server to get the correct information to the chef. Most of the time servers are interested and capable.
Occasionally, though, there are servers who are less than helpful.
I've had incidences where servers were growly and incidences where the server bent over backwards to bring me something exceptional - even at the same restaurant.
For example, one time David and I went with a group to a local wine and cheese shop. They have a vegan sandwich and soup on their menu.
I asked the server about other plant-based options. She didn't have any suggestions.
I also mentioned that it would be great to see a non-dairy cheese on the menu since they already offer other vegan options.
The waitress said to me snottily, "We haven't found any that we would be comfortable serving."
I was put off by her attitude and wished she'd said something like, "I'll pass that on to the owner that there's interest" or "Do you have a non-dairy cheese you'd recommend?"
In contrast, we were back at the same place with a group several weeks later. That time we had a different server who invited the chef to our table to tell us about additional options.
The chef brought out a board with all kinds of spreads they offer that just happen to be vegan - pickle relish, fig jam, olive tapenade, Marcona almonds, Spanish olives…
It was the complete opposite experience from the one I'd had the time before, even though the restaurant and menu were the same.
Because the person who was helping us had more insight on the options (and more tact), it made me want to go back again.
What would be even better is if the restaurant chose to list a vegan board on the menu with those spreads. That way I could be assured that every time I went the experience would be a repeat regardless of who was working that day.
(Update: Now they have added a vegan board to the menu! Still no non-dairy cheese, though…)
Labeling makes people aware of options
When dining with a large group, I gravitate to the obvious vegan options on the menu for simplicity's sake.
("I'll take the tofu stir-fry with no fish sauce & no oyster sauce, please.")
But if there's an indicator that there's more available, not only does that make for a more exciting dining experience, it also gives me a reason to come back and do more exploring.
There was an Indian restaurant that was a favorite of mine in Burbank. David and I visited about once a week. And we were friendly with the owner.
I asked the owner to consider adding V's to their menu, highlighting their vegan options. He agreed to it!
While I had talked with the wait staff many times about the possibilities, when the owner added the V's, I realized there were so many more options than I'd even realized.
That meant that our regular Indian date night became even more regular. It gave us reason to keep going back for more.
Vegans do recon & clear labels help
When someone invites us to lunch, vegans go to the menu online to scope out what kind of options there are.
If a restaurant mentions the word vegan in the description, puts a V next to the name, or has a symbol that denotes things are vegan, it makes that restaurant a more appealing destination.
I also email local businesses semi-regularly to find out what kind of vegan options they could offer, regardless of what's listed on the menu.
Many times a place that at first glance isn't very vegan friendly, can offer some surprisingly good meals.
Recently I emailed a restaurant that opened several months ago about vegan options. Their menu didn't look particularly welcoming, but I'd heard good things about the place. I wanted to see if they could accommodate me.
The owner wrote me back with several options - a few appetizers, a salad, and a couple of entrée choices.
We went there for dinner. I ordered the huevos without huevos, which came on a platter with black beans, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and fried tortillas.
The server came back to our table after I ordered. She said that the chef wanted to make sure that I enjoyed my meal, and that it was substantive enough without the usual egg.
"Do you like kale and heirloom tomatoes? We could add those to your dish."
Those are two of my favorite ingredients. So I heartily agreed.
When they brought the plate to the table, it reminded me of an elegant version of puffy nachos.
(I even created my own version of the dish at home – sweet potato black bean hash.)
My mouth was very impressed. I look forward to going back again, and I'm pleased my legwork worked.
However, I would have gone in so much earlier had I realized what an excellent meal they could make for vegans.
By adding a V to the menu, who knows how many more people would also be inclined to try?
(Update: They’ve now added a separate vegan menu too!)
Vegans return for interesting options
Any place can provide a spinach salad. And fine, that will do.
But I'll make frequent returns if a restaurant offers something creative and more interesting than a baked potato.
Great examples of this are Hugo's in Los Angeles and Dumpling Darling in Iowa City. They have non-vegan items on their menu, but they also offer really interesting plant-based options.
A bean burrito is acceptable, but a burrito filled with seitan andouille is considerably more interesting.
More vegan menu items = more customers
After telling us about their experience at the restaurant with no labeled vegetarian options, Adam noted that there are lots of places in town where he and Ashley simply don’t eat.
The meat-heavy menus don’t offer anything enticing to his wife. And Adam wouldn’t feel comfortable watching her have a plain iceberg lettuce salad while he eats a full meal.
As numbers of vegans and vegetarians continue to grow, hopefully restaurants will see that there's a market there and put more vegan options clearly on the menu.
And if there’s a restaurant in your area that you’d like to see offering more vegan options – ask. The only way they can know is if we tell them.
More vegan menu options means more total customers – people who are interested in plant-based meals, people who identify as vegan, and the people who love them.
For more on this topic, check out my post, Should Vegans Eat at Non-Vegan Restaurants?
Pam
I’d like to start a #PutVeganOnTheMenu campaign where vegans post photos of menus where vegan options are clearly labelled. It will raise awareness of restaurants who do cater for Vegans, it will make it easier to find restaurants who have Vegan options, it will continue to raise awareness of veganism (and make dining out with non-vegan friends and family easier) and will start to highlight the potentially healthier, plant-based options on menus. Perhaps it could be added to HappyCow, or TripAdvisor or Zomato? Anybody keen to participate, or have an idea how to start this up?
Caitlin
I loved this post – these are all really good points and I hope more restaurants take to labelling their vegan options!
Cadry
Thanks, Caitlin! I hope so too!
Pat
I’ve read and loved your post about vegans eating at non-vegan restaurants and I always chuckle at the thought. I live in a city in New York with a population of 210,000 and until two years we had NO vegan restaurant. Niw we have two, which is a vast improvement! We do however have many, many restaurants with vegan options and I attribute that mostly to people eating there and requesting vegam options. Sort of a reminder that you have to speak to get the word out that we exist and like to eat too. Just last week I was a tiny neighboorhood Italian restaurant and was pleasantly surprised when the server pointed out that the marinara was vegan. Granted my options were still limited but at least I got to eat a bowl of pasta instead of the salad sandwich I had for lunch at the same place last year. Of course last week at a work event someone said “If we’d known you were coming we would’ve gotten you a vegan bagel haha.” I got to tell them that the bagels they were eating actually WERE vegan. So, baby steps and a teachable moment.
Cadry
I’m so glad you enjoyed that post! I’m also happy to hear that your vegan options are growing in your town. I completely agree that restaurants respond to their market. If customers tell them they want vegan options, they are more likely to offer them. Plus, the more vegan options there are in restaurants, the more people will feel that going vegan is doable.
That’s too funny about the “vegan bagel!” People often don’t realize that “vegan food” is just normal, everyday food that they already eat. When people hear that I’m vegan, they often tell me that they like “vegan food.” I know they are trying to find common ground, and so I just say, “That’s great!” But of course, I always think, “Wow, you like chips and salsa, pasta with red sauce, bean burritos, french fries… Hey, me too!” 😉
Jill
Hi, great post. Vegan dining can be very difficult outside of the capital,cities in Australia. Loads of options in Melbourne but very few where I live in country Victoria (not really too country, only 100kilometres north of Melbourne). I have been told everything from “we don’t do vegan as there is no call for it” to “let me know what you would like me to cook” so no research required by the chef. Mostly I end up with something very bland and uninteresting – rice and vegetables if I am lucky while my husband can pick from an extensive menu. What this means is we are eating out much less since our move to the country.
Cadry
Wow, I’m sorry your options are so grim, Jill! It’s a shame that the chefs there don’t seem eager to branch out. It sounds like we have more options here, even in the small town where we live. However, like you, I definitely cook at home a lot more since moving here from Los Angeles. On the bright side, I’ve learned to cook things I never would have otherwise, and we’ve saved money in the process.
Bianca
Amen! Thanks for doing this post. I’m going to share! I wish every non-vegan restaurant owner would read this!
Cadry
Thanks, Bianca! Yes, restaurant-owners don’t realize the customers they’re missing out on. And like you said on Facebook, vegans tell everyone they know about vegan options when they’re available. Putting “vegan” on the menu is sure to get some word of mouth going.
amey
Cadry!! This is SUCH an excellent post! First of all, I can’t believe that YOU, lover of all things Reuben, is married to someone who doesn’t like sauerkraut. That is amazing. But on to the rest of the post — AMEN. I am in the same situation, because Musty isn’t even veg, and we only ever go places together that have vegan options. We often dine out with my parents (neither of whom are vegan), and just one little vegan in the dining party can cause us to choose only vegan-friendly establishments. This is such a wonderful and thorough write-up. I’m thinking about trying to get more local restaurants here in Santa Cruz to offer (and label) vegan items, and I think I will use this wonderful post as a resource. Thank you!
Cadry
I know! How did I end up with someone who isn’t into sauerkraut? Luckily, he brings other things to the relationship. 😉
That’s great that you want to try to get more restaurants in your area to carry and label vegan options. It seems like living in Northern California, you should have good luck with that. I hope my post will be a help!
Tracey
WOW, what a great q & a that link was. I think I’ll save that in my phone so when I eat out I know what questions to ask:)
Cadry
Excellent! I’m glad it was helpful!
Siobhan
Great post, Cadry! I have so much to say on this topic as eating out has been bothering me a bit lately. When I was first vegan, I was so grateful if I was catered to at all, but now, three years in, I think that restaurants can do better. All of your suggestions are spot on 🙂
Cadry
Thanks, Siobhan! Especially living in a small town, it would be nice to see more restaurants with interesting vegan options. Although, it does save me money since I’m often more inclined to cook at home – knowing I can make something more exciting for a lot less money.
Tracey
What a great post! I have found even at a vegan friendly restaurant I frequent, that some items I assumed were vegan weren’t. For example a cranberry basmati rice. I never would have guessed it would of had dairy. Cadry when you eat out, do you always ask what items are vegan?? Thank you!!
Cadry
Thanks, Tracey! Yes, sometimes restaurants can surprise you with unexpected things like dairy in the hummus or chicken broth in the rice. In our town, I am pretty familiar with the vegan options at the restaurants we frequent, and so I don’t have to ask many questions there. (Although, I’ll still mention my special orders like, “I’d like the roti without ghee.”)
At a new place, though, I’ll scope out the menu, see what looks vegan friendly, and then ask questions about that item. Not everyone knows what the word “vegan” means, and so I’ll usually define it within my question. I’ll say something like, “I noticed you have a black bean burrito. I’m vegan, and so I don’t eat meat, dairy, or eggs. If I got the burrito without cheese, would that be vegan? You don’t cook the rice in chicken broth or anything like that, right? Or is there another dish that you’d recommend for a vegan diner?” At that point, the server will either ask in the back, or if it’s a place that is used to a vegan clientele, they’ll be able to tell me right away.
In this post, I mentioned some of the standard questions I ask in various restaurants.
lysette
This is a great post Cadry! ‘an awkward discussion followed by a dinner of steamed broccoli.’ that was so funny, I’ve been there too many times and you just lose interest in joining others on a meal out. Brunches where the rest of the group has too much food and I’m ‘enjoying’ dry toast with peanut butter, of course everyone at the table would think eating vegan is hard/depriving when there could have been so many other options! I like how your advice is applicable to both ends -the restaurant and the vegan diner 🙂
Cadry
Brunch is definitely the trickiest at non-vegan restaurants. Menus are often a well of eggs and processed meats. At times like that, it’s a bummer when you don’t get to help choose the restaurant and wind up at a place with lackluster options. In those scenarios, I imagine people think that vegans simply subsist on spinach salads with olive oil and a side of French fries or peanut butter toast, like you mentioned. Of course, at home and in other restaurants, our meals are nothing like that! I can see how people who only see vegans in those situations would get a completely skewed perspective of what it’s like to live meat-free.
Susmitha - Veganosaurus
This is such a well written piece, Cadry! I can see you’ve taken a lot of pain to list all the important points. And some of these apply to vegan restaurant owners/staff too.
I’ve repeatedly seen that being very warm and loving towards the guest and taking great care to customising food to their specifications makes a world of difference to their experience, their reviews and their chances of returning.
Cadry
That’s such a good point, Susmitha. All people like to feel heard and that their needs matter, especially in the customer service industry.
Mark
This expresses my feelings exactly. Why wouldn’t a restaurant owner or executive chef create a menu that appeals to all types of appetites?
Cadry
Absolutely. Demand for plant-based fare is only going up. It makes sense to make sure people feel welcome, especially since most restaurants already have the base of vegan meals anyway – vegetables, beans, and grains.
Veganopoulous
This is great Cadry! I’m working on a similar blog post after seeing a somewhat dirty sign in a restaurant here last week that said “no vegetarian menu”. I thought okay well at least they’re honest and veg*ns know not to waste their time but at the same time it was a bit hnnggghhhh IYKWIM. I decided against taking a photo and now regret that, so I’ll have to go hunting for it again! In one of the vegan facebook groups I’m in, we’ve had the horror stories of people going to a catered event and their special vegan meal is a sliced tomato with a basil leaf for an appetiser! That’s just plain lazy.
Cadry
Yes, catered events are often the worst. It’s very clear that vegan items especially are an afterthought. It’s during those times that I’m sure to bring a purse sandwich. 🙂
I look forward to reading your upcoming post about that restaurant sign!
Edith
Great post. I am a volunteer with truthordrought.com here in California. We have started a campaign to get restaurants on board to combat the severe drought by offering and displaying vegan items on their menu, because they are the least water intensive. In return, they will be offered a positive yelp review and a photo of their restaurant on our fb page to promote them. So there’s another reason for restaurants to have vegan options: displaying their concern for the depleting water supply 😉
Cadry
That’s terrific, Edith! Thanks for your insight. It sounds like a great program. That’s a win/win all around.
lindsay
yes, yes, a million times YES!! i am such a sucker for that V on a menu — i get really frustrated when places with Known Vegan Options don’t label them as such.
Cadry
Absolutely. Plus, for people who are wavering about going vegan or think that it would be too hard, I’d love for them to see “vegan” on menus to know that options are within reach. If people don’t know there are options, they are often not inclined to ask follow-up questions.
Susan
Such a great post! I think it makes a lot of sense for restaurants to provide clearly labeled vegan options, and can help make every step of the dining process so much smoother.
Seriously restaurants, I want to give you my money so I can eat out so just make it easy!
Cadry
Yes! Wouldn’t it be great if restaurants listed the ingredients in the way that packaged foods list their ingredients? Then we could do a quick scan before the server arrives at the table.
Kris
Great post. I would like to add another reason adding a V to the menu helps. My non-vegan son and fiance often try to choose a restaurant that I will enjoy. With clearly labeled options they can be confident that the chosen restaurant can accommodate all of us leaving the guess work out for them!
Cadry
Oh, that’s such a great point, Kris! For non-vegans who aren’t necessarily used to looking at menus through that lens, of course, it’s very useful to have “vegan” printed right on them.
Linda @ Veganosity
This is such a great post, Cadry. I’m fortunate to live in the Chicago area and most restaurants are happy to whip up something vegan for me. Most of the time my meal is better than the non-vegans at the table. I was recently in Indianapolis for a tennis tournament and my team went to Cheesecake Factory and I thought I was going to be stuck eating a house salad and bread, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had one awesome vegan Cobb salad and three or four vegetarian entrees to choose from. It keeps getting easier as time goes on.
Cadry
That’s great that you were able to find something to your liking at Cheesecake Factory. I haven’t been there in many years. It’s definitely been since before I went vegan, and I didn’t realize they’d expanded their menu in that area. It does seem like chains that grow their menu because they have locations in larger cities, end up helping out vegans in smaller towns where vegan options are on the slimmer side. In that way, it’s nice that chains are consistent.
Valerie
It’s a turn off if a restaurant doesn’t care enough to make the effort to offer one meat-free dish. With so many people eliminating meat for various reasons, the example you started with is sure to happen often–in fact, I’ve done that same thing your friends did! Great post.
Cadry
Yes, restaurants have no idea how many customers they lose, simply because they don’t offer 1 option (that’s not a side salad) for vegetarians and/or vegans. Oftentimes I’ll go to the restaurant that I know can accommodate me, rather than risk it with a restaurant that may not be open to substitutions or may only offer something lackluster at restaurant prices.
I have been surprised in our town by the number of restaurants that tout their local & organic options but don’t have a single vegan option listed. Don’t they realize that vegetables are local too?
Angela Patino
Amen to this post! The whole post is true. I got stuck at Applebee’s with French fries and steamed veggies. Really? Anyway, fortunately here in Vegas there are plenty of other vegan based restaurants and others that have plenty of vegan options. Even vegan doughnut at a couple of doughnut shops!
Cadry
Thanks, Angela! It’s always such a bummer when restaurants don’t make any effort to be inclusive. Nowadays it seems like more and more chains are offering some actual options (like Chipotle with their sofritas), that it’s surprising when you’re stuck with a meal of fries and steamed veggies. Little do they know how many diners they are missing out on because those people go elsewhere for a more substantial meal that’s worth their money.
I envy your options in Vegas! I went to Ronald’s Donuts once several years ago, and it was an excellent experience. 🙂