5 ways to indicate vegan options on your restaurant menu

Imagine you only like to eat yellow food. You go to a restaurant and the menu does not denote which foods are yellow, leaving you unsure if there are options for you. 

This is exactly what it can be like visiting a restaurant as a vegan when the menu does not highlight which options are vegan friendly. 

First impressions have a big impact on your vegan customers. If they are not able to trust in what you are offering them, they will take their custom elsewhere and return to hospitality businesses who are doing this better.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to make a positive impression is with the presentation of your menu. Yet so many restaurants and bars seem to miss this easy win which in my experience also increases the spend per head.

Here are 5 easy and cheap (if not free) ways to indicate vegan on your menu

1. Have a vegan menu

   Pull all your vegan options from the main menu and create a separate menu for your plant based customers. Lots of customers are happy to ask if you have a vegan menu, however, this can also be a quick question your FOH staff ask guests on arrival. Being given a vegan menu goes a long way to making vegan customers feel welcome and valued. Plus knowing you can order anything on the menu and see all your options in one place is a massive bonus.

2. On the main menu specify VG or PB next to each dish suitable for vegans

   If you have limited vegan options you may choose to keep all dishes on the main menu. Likewise not everyone will want a vegan menu, they may eat meat, but avoid dairy products so still highlighting dietary preferences on your main menu is still essential.

3. Don’t forget about starters and desserts

   Unfortunately it is very common to be handed a menu where only the main dishes have been identified. The breads and oil appetizers you offer as vegan are not labeled as such, which is a sale you’ve just missed out on because a vegan will assume the bread is not vegan. The same goes for starters and desserts. A lot of restaurants don’t label the dessert menu because there is an assumption all desserts are vegetarian, but with the popularity of vegan diets increasing it is important to highlight this. Review your menu to double check if all vegan options are labelled as such.

4. Highlight VG or PB on your drinks menu too

   Your menu is looking tip top, you have taken on board the tips above, so your vegan customer is settling into a very lovely dining experience. Then the server appears and asks if anyone would like a drink. Your vegan customer would like a red wine, however, the menu has not identified which wines are suitable for vegans and the staff aren’t sure either. Another sale missed. Until recently it has been very rare to see a drinks menu with the vegan options highlighted. It is great to see more and more restaurants choosing to include their drinks menu too. These little things are greatly appreciated by your vegan customers.

5. Include a key on your menu

   Most customers won’t mind what label you go for. VG, PB, or a leaf icon are all perfectly suitable, providing on the menu somewhere is a key to identify which is which. Also be scrupulous before publishing your menu to ensure they are consistency throughout.

Next time you update your menu, add in these 5 things to get you earning brownie points with your vegan customers.

If you would like to receive a free menu review to make sure you are hitting all these points and more head over to the contact page to arrange one.