5 Restaurants Share their Secrets to Wow Plant-based Customers

The world's going vegan, quite literally.

While the number of restaurants that cater to the vegan and vegan-curious has increased, there's still a massive gap. Globally, the number of vegan dishes per consumer in 2020 Q2 was 0.86. This means that for every 10 abillionveg members, there are fewer than 10 vegan dishes available.

In this article, we look at how some restaurants have successfully managed to wow the vegans and non-vegans alike!

1. Experimentation is KEY

Zenna Ho, who runs popular restaurants like Eight Treasures and WellSmoocht, specializes in creating the ultimate comfort food. She believes in creating recipes that remind people of their childhood.

“Anything can be vegan, as long as you add some magic, love, and, nooch,” is her mantra while creating new dishes.

Incorporate some nostalgia by giving customers a taste of life before, while slowly incorporating some brand new flavors!

2. Fresh Ingredients are a MUST

Known for their modern and innovative take on plant-based foods, nomVnom is a pivotal game-changer in Singapore’s food scene since their doors opened in 2015. Whether they’re cooking up some fast food for our vegan junkies or wholefoods, salads, and smoothies for the health-conscious bunch, the secret of nomVnom’s success is their use of the freshest ingredients!

3. Labels, Labels, Labels!!

Organization is EVERYTHING. Yuan Oeij, the chairman of the Privé Group stresses the importance of clear labeling and kitchen organization. Vegan dishes are cooked separately to meat ones and all of their staff are well trained and equipped in guiding customers on plant-based options!

Their menu is impeccable – dishes have clear labels to indicate dietary restrictions, and plant-based offerings are integrated into the regular menu, as Yuan believes the healthy options are just as delicious!

4. Creatively market

Take it from Grand Hyatt, Singapore. When they launched their (now) crowd favorite, “Beyond Sausage Hot Dog”, they took a rather unorthodox marketing approach – a food truck!

In sunny Singapore queue culture is common, but food trucks aren't. So, this unconventional marketing strategy proved to be a roaring success.

5. Mouthwatering food descriptions are the cherry on top

Labelling your dishes is important (see #3!!) but including blanket labels isn't enough! Take a leaf out of Carmen Low, the co-founder of Afterglow by Anglow. Afterglow includes dish descriptions in its menu that focus on the ingredients, the taste, and the texture of the dish. Including these appetizing descriptions will help both vegans and non-vegans alike become more open to trying unique creations!

These are the five things you can do to attract greater diversity to your restaurant! More people are embracing the plant-based lifestyle, so make the most of it!