More and more, restaurant customers expect a safer and healthier dining experience. Because of COVID-19, people have a newfound outlook on their well-being. They want to nurture both their body and mind. As a result, restaurants are experimenting with creative new ideas. Enter plant-based menus.
Photo by Daniel Öberg on Unsplash
What Are Plant-Based Menus?
Whether it’s a few dishes, a new section, or an overhaul of the entire menu, your restaurant can find ways to incorporate plant-based food. Offer vegan alternatives to common foods, like burgers made from mushrooms rather than beef. Veganism, vegetarianism, and other dietary restrictions have become ubiquitous. Plant-based menus appeal to these consumers.
Common plant-based trends include non-dairy milk, creative uses of vegetables, and using foods like tempeh or tofu as a protein base for rice bowls. You can also use these as keywords to strengthen your SEO and draw in guests who search things like “tempeh rice bowl” on Google Maps.
Healthy Drinks Take Center Stage
It’s not just foods that are using plant bases anymore. Think about what drinks people already love: Coffee, smoothies, and milk for both. If you or anyone you know is dairy-free, or if you’ve walked into a café in the past five years, you already know about milk alternatives like soy, coconut, almond, and other nut bases.
But it doesn’t stop there. Refreshers gained traction in coffee shops too. These are fruit-based drinks with less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee. They provide a delicious, sweet pick-me-up in the mid-afternoon. As new tasty alternatives take the stage, revamp your food and drink menus to include plant-based options that will draw in health-conscious consumers. Speaking of which…
Emphasize Healthy Living
Now that you’ve put in the work, show off your dedication to a nutritious lifestyle. Promoting your cause on social media lets guests know about the plant-based menu options you’ve added. Wherever your customers spend their free time, that’s where you should go. Post regularly, and with appropriate hashtags, to widen your base most effectively.
But healthy living runs deeper than that. For example, it may benefit your business to offer more customization. Let people swap out individual ingredients if they want. A gluten-free bun alternative might net more income than an entirely separate meal. Expand your salad section, too; since healthy options have gained so much traction, sales for your pre-existing vegan and vegetarian options will rise with this crowd, too.
In the push for healthy options and plant-based menus, creativity will distinguish you from the competition. Every decision you make has a direct impact on your brand, so come up with unique solutions that show off your individuality. Keep your brand at the forefront of their minds the next time they’re craving a healthy dinner out.
Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash
Plant-Based Menus Go Digital
Foods aren’t the only area where restaurants have gotten creative. Plant-based menus’ rise in prominence runs parallel to digital solutions proliferation. Together, they cater to the current market. While people have minded their physical, mental, and spiritual nutrition because of the pandemic, they also grew more comfortable with the ease and convenience of digital dining. Upload your plant-based menus onto your website and social media, and make sure your online ordering platform is optimized for mobile use so they can get delivery on the go.
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